


Two Worlds

by cheesebeanmilk



Series: Two Worlds - Dragon AU [1]
Category: Sideshow - Fandom
Genre: Blood:tw, Buck is basically just fucking feral the whole time, Gen, I've been working on this straight up LORE for a couple days, Middle Ages, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Wizards, boi i die, hoo boy those dragon boys are back at it again with their bad habits, i also have no idea how to format stuff on here hel p, i have no idea how to tag sksksk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-03-30 02:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19033087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheesebeanmilk/pseuds/cheesebeanmilk
Summary: Keenan takes a trip into the mountains and he ends up meeting some chaotic dragon boys that kind of ruin his life as well as their own.Based off of mine and neglected-sadist's Dragon AU on tumblr.Check it out: https://neglected-sadist.tumblr.com/https://cheesebeanmilk.tumblr.com/





	1. Chapter 1

The mountains are a lovely place to journey during the day. The chirping of birds and the odd spotting of mountain goats passing by are welcome and even anticipated by Keenan. He’s surrounded by all kinds of plants up here too, pine and evergreen trees, herbs such as basil and coriander - anything he could need for a hearty home-made broth. It seems like a lot more trouble than it’s worth for a few measly herbs but he doesn’t mind the hike. In fact, he rather enjoys it. What he doesn't enjoy is that this whole journey is all because pesky snails ate the parsley plants in his garden.

 

He shields his eyes from the piercing sun with a gloved hand. It won’t be blinding him for much longer, it’s beginning to set beyond the mountaintop in front of him. Perhaps he should start setting up camp for the night. _Just a little farther_ , he thinks to himself. He’s usually further up the mountain by now but he stopped to examine a couple of rabbit holes and few other wildlife habitats he spotted on the way up. He hunts game for a living, it would only make sense for him to scope out the area since he's brought his bow and quiver filled with arrows. Looking around had cost him valuable time. He picks up his pace, he’ll need to hurry if he wants to get to a cave he can set up in. The clouds are swirling mischievously a few miles back, a bolt of lightning illuminating the greyed out sky. It’s appeared almost out of nowhere. The thunder roars like a ferocious animal and Keenan quickens his pace some more. He doesn’t want to get caught out in a storm, nor does he want to set up his camp in the dark.

 

The cave isn’t much further. He reaches the warm cover of it before night falls and even has the chance to set up a campfire for a source of light and heat. He flicks out his bed roll, folding his cloak to use as a makeshift pillow. The fire crackles and sparks as he sits down, the orange glow casting menacing shadows along the cave walls. The cave itself is far too big for his liking, the ceiling twisting up into strange angles he dislikes the look of. The rain pelts down outside, the rush of the river from below picking up velocity as the extra water trickles down into it. Water sprays into the front of the cave, almost hitting Keenan. Thankfully, he’s just slightly too far away for the horrible rain to drench him. He sticks out his tongue at the wicked weather and sighs, sitting back against the bumpy cave wall. Perhaps he should just get some rest, he’s sure the cover of the cave should keep him dry and the fire will keep him warm enough if it doesn’t burn out during the night. The barkeep at his usual tavern had warned him of strange weather earlier today but he didn’t heed his warning, next time he’ll think twice.

 

He places the rest of his belongings further into the cave to ensure they don't get wet, kicking off his leather boots. He sets his bow and quiver against the wall, facing them as readies himself to sleep. The fire is too bright to sleep but throwing his blanket over his head helps just enough to send him into a deep slumber for the night. Hopefully the morning will bring better weather for the rest of his trip.

 

Keenan awakes the next morning to a strangely rhythmic breeze blowing his hair back from his face. He scrunches his nose up at the stench the breeze brings with it. A burnt copper sort of smell that makes his nostrils tickle. He rubs his eyes with fisted hands and sits up with a yawn. He peels his eyes open, still barely awake. That doesn't last for long. His hands begin to tremble, chest heaving as his eyes refuse to leave the creature in front of him. It breathes gruffly, waiting. The ginormous creature is covered in fiery red scales, a burnt orange shine reflecting off of them  and on to the cave walls and ceiling as the sun beams down from the entrance. It’s features are ferocious. It’s all pointy teeth and sharp angles, nothing Keenan could even describe verbally. It wears a twisted expression that looks something similar to a smirk when he reaches for his bow. It's no longer next to him - and his arrows are gone too. 

“You’re a…dragon.” Keenan just barely squeaks out. He can’t help but state the obvious. The dragon huffs out a smoky breath, seemingly fed up with Keenan already. The nails of the beast claw at the ground, his stance proud and uptight.

“And _you’re_ trespassing, human.” The creature growls out furiously “Or did you not notice the napping drake in the back of this cave?”

 

Keenan hears a rumble from behind him. He whirls around to come face-to-face with another large scaled creature rising to it's feet. This one is mossy green with emerald and blue tinges to its scales in certain light. It’s not as big as the other and it doesn’t have wings. Although, that doesn’t make it any less intimidating as it stretches it’s legs out and arches its back with an almost cat-like yawn.  He scrambles away from the two of them, back hitting the wall behind him. He’s trapped, completely and utterly trapped. With a dragon _and_ a drake. Panic rises in his chest and his voice comes out shrill.

“I apologise, I can pack my things and leave if need be. I needed some shelter from the rain and-”

“ _Enough_.” The green one interrupts sharply “Perhaps you should do as you said. Pack your things and be on your way, human.”

Keenan doesn’t have be told twice. He doesn't hesitate to grab all of his belongings and hightail it out of there while he still can.

 

He doesn’t get far. He makes it halfway down the steep slope leading up to the cave before he spots it. At the bottom of the slope is _another_ dragon. It’s outside the cave, stretching out it’s wings. Its golden wingspan would be somewhat angelic, if dragons were not considered to be so evil. It's slightly smaller than the red dragon but slightly bigger than the drake is. It turns it’s head to regard him curiously but does not make a move to pounce on him.

 

The red dragon has other plans, landing with its claws digging up dirt and knocking over a large pine tree in its wake. Prepared to pounce. Its teeth are bared at Keenan as it speaks, the spikes on its spine raising threateningly.

“Still here? I suppose I’ll just have to eat you instead.”

The golden dragon almost shrugs as Keenan glances to it. It’s out of impulse, two predators in front of him who could end him in an instant. Of course he’s going to keep his eyes on them both. The golden one doesn’t seem to be bothered by him at all though.

“You don’t have to do _that_! I…uh - I’m merely in this area to collect some ingredients for a broth. It’s my grandmother’s recipe. Perhaps I could tempt you with that instead?” Keenan holds his breath as the red dragon considers his offering. He’s positive he’s going to perish here up in the mountains when it’s large head lowers down to his level, blood red eyes squinting into his very soul.

“The man is merely here for soup, friend. Consider his offering wisely. A change might be good.” The golden dragon’s tone is teasing, almost playful as it nudges the red one, golden tail flicking from side to side behind it. Keenan's heart slams against his chest, hands gripping at his bag as he readies himself to try and run from them. He can barely think rationally about the situation as waves of fear rise in his chest. If he stays, he's dead. If he runs, he's even more dead.

 

“Perhaps I’m tired of human flesh…for now. How long will your _broth_ take to make?”

Keenan blinks in astonishment at the two dragons. He can see the green one peak it’s head out of the cave’s mouth and yawn again, barely paying attention to the current situation as it slinks down the path towards them. Keenan’s in shock. The bribery of broth actually _worked_ ? It worked and he’s not going to be singed or melted or _eaten_. Well, it’s probably too early to make the assumption they won’t still kill him - but Keenan has faith. Anyone can be pleasant, maybe even dragons.

“It'll take a couple of hours. Although, I still have a few ingredients to collect on the mountaintop.” The red one huffs out an irritated sigh in reply, deflating as it marches past the others and back into the cave.

“Take him.” It calls out after a moment, its rasped and tired voice ricocheting off of the cave walls and sending an unnerved shiver down Keenan’s spine.

“Come on, human. I’ll take you.” The golden dragon offers him a pointy-toothed smile that leaves Keenan with a pit of dread in his stomach. These dragons are definitely still going to be the death of him.

 

“You’re going to fly him?” The drake asks, tilting its head in surprise. Its tone isn't as sharp as before but it’s still loud enough to make Keenan flinch, resisting the urge to cover his ears.

“It’ll be faster. I don’t want to wait forever for a meal.”

"We could always just eat him."

The golden one snorts amusedly and nods his head in agreement, tail flat against the ground now. Keenan looks between the two, an unreadable look is shared between them. He feels a thick silence settle over them and the golden dragon nudges him, hinting for him to mount its spiked back. He obliges reluctantly, receiving a helping hand - or maybe helping _claw_ is more accurate - from the drake. He yelps as the golden dragon beats its wings gracefully and lifts off before Keenan has a chance to secure himself properly. Its wings make a similar sound to his sheets when he shakes them to get any dust off but it’s significantly louder and a tad more elegant than him tripping over himself with his oversized bed covers. They rise quickly and before long Keenan can see his village as he clings to the dragon for dear life. The view is phenomenal, like it could go on forever as forestry stretches toward the sunset. The mountain itself doesn’t look as big as it usually does, still decently sized but…different. This view is something that could never have entered his mind. It’s daunting, looking below and knowing this dragon could simply drop him to his death but he can’t bring himself to be fearful. His cloak flaps freely in the wind. He’s wondered what it must be like to look down on the world as a bird does but now here he is, looking down on the earth as they glide downward to an open space of greenery.

 

At the last moment, the dragon pulls up and they soar vertically into the sky. Keenan grips on tighter than before, his heart in his throat. The dragon roars, lightning buzzing around them, a storm forming above them. Is the dragon doing that? Another ear-splitting roar and more lightning answers his question. _It's definitely doing that_. Could it have caused the storm last night and lured him to the cave? He screams in horror as the dragon begins to fly loops in the air, forcing Keenan's hands to slip. He plummets off of the back of the creature. He flails his arms and legs as he allows the loudest shriek he possesses to escape him. The ground approaches quickly. His breath is knocked out of him when a claw catches him out of the air, the dragon grinning in sick amusement. It drops him when they're closer to the ground, uncaring of the thump of Keenan's body hitting the hard surface as it circles him a few times more before landing. He's wheezing when it lands a few feet away, rolling on to his stomach and shutting his eyes as he tries to compose himself. He takes a deep breath in through his nose, the smell of fresh grass filling his senses.

“What plants do you need?” The dragon asks casually, as if it didn't just try to kill him. He thought this one was going to be the level-headed one. He gasps in another couple of shaky breaths, sitting up before he answers.

“Parsley. Snails ate my plants at home.”

“Unfortunate...Be quick.” The dragon waves a claw at him to hurry. He does. Keenan knows what he’s looking for from years of experience. Although, he still carries his sketch book just as an additional precaution, in case he ever forgot what certain plants looked like and accidentally poisoned himself. He picks a hefty amount of parsley and then they’re on their way again. The flight back down is not as… _exciting_ as the first and he finds himself strangely transfixed by the dragon's golden scales. It would be gorgeous, if it wasn’t so terrifyingly dangerous. Beautifully deadly could be a good middle ground to describe it.

 

His thoughts are interrupted as they land on the same slope as before. He can see smoke flooding out of the cave, clearly his fire has been relit by the dragons. He thought all of the wood had burnt out. How could they possibly place logs on a fire down with such big claws? Surely they couldn’t do it on their own. As he dismounts the golden dragon, he sees two figures through the smoke. Human shaped. _Mostly_ . The two young men are vastly different, one is a redhead with deathly pale skin and a black cloak with fur lining the collar. The other is a curly-haired brunette with a slightly less pasty complexion, he wears a sage green cape over an additional cloak. His feet are on display for the world to see. Well, _claws_. The two are human for the majority in appearance, besides the scales and large horns stretching upward toward the sky. The scales protrude from their skin around their piercing eyes, covering their arms and clawed hands - if you could even consider them that. Their scale colours are distinct, matching the dragon and drake from before. He can see the dragon's ruby eyes cutting through the smoke, while the drake's sparkle like amber.

 

Keenan’s mouth hangs agape as he tries to absorb the information laid out in front of him. It’s supposed to be a myth: That dragons have human forms. Clearly that's untrue. The red dragon has his arms folded across his chest, an aggravated expression on his face, smoke seeping slightly from his nostrils. The drake is sitting at the edge of the caves entrance, legs dangling from the overhang and swinging carelessly. He looks around as birds fly past, pointed ears twitching at any new sounds happening around him. It’s a strangely animalistic behaviour to see on a mostly human face. His eyes snap to Keenan as he lugs his bag up the slope and he grins toothily, pointed teeth alarming Keenan. Despite being a sharp smile it’s still warm and somewhat endearing. Keenan frowns at the thought of a dragon being friendly. Is the myth of dragons having an evil nature untrue as well?

“Human! Do you have all of the ingredients now? I’m _starving_.” He states, pressing a hand to his stomach to emphasise his point. The drake’s human voice is much less sharp but the volume is still there. He sounds like a bothersome younger sibling using the over-the-top statement of ‘starving’. He’s sure he’s heard some of the villagers’ younger children being similarly dramatic.

“Yes. I should have enough for everyone.” It’s a good thing he brought his cast iron pot, the extra weight has been a hassle but worth it in the end if it keeps him from being eaten.

“I should hope so.” The red dragon grumbles, his voice just as brash as before “For your sake.”

Keenan nods, gulping as a lump forms in his throat. He should hope so too.

 

It takes next to no time to prepare, he’d already soaked barley at home and placed it in a small container so he could cook surrounded by the wilderness. It’s something he loves to do every once in a while when he can carry the weight of everything. Usually he’s exhausted for days after. He uses the knife on his hip to chop up carrots, potatoes and celery, ripping the parsley up and placing it in the boiling water. The golden dragon watches him, curiously leaning forward and observing his every step. He’s long since shifted into his own humanoid form. He’s a handsome thing, dirty fair hair, cerulean eyes and soft features. He’s draped in a white tunic, a gold sun embroidered on the breast of the fabric. His golden scales cover the same areas as the others, a hint of topaz shining from them. He’s not sure how the dragons shift forms, the golden one had disappeared into the forest and then returned in his current form, tail curling and uncurling behind him.

 

Being inquisitive must be in his nature, he’s completely zeroed in on his observations of Keenan, eyes flicking between his chopping and back to the boiling broth.

“Strange. How things come together.” He states thoughtfully as Keenan dumps some more vegetables into the pot.

“Haven’t you ever cooked before?”

Keenan receives a few surprised blinks and a shake of his head from the golden dragon.

“We’ve never had any need to do so. Although, we have eaten human food before.”

“I’ve eaten _lots_ of human!” The drake pipes up proudly, raising a claw in the air before withdrawing it quickly in response to a sharp glare the golden dragon sends him. He crunches down on a chopped carrot with a sickening snap and shrugs his shoulders, the red dragon looks fed up with the drake and exhales sharply through his nose. Keenan is horrified, gulping down a scream as he stirs the soup.

 

When he’s finished, he places a lid on the pot and washes his hands in the cold river, drying them on his tunic and huffing a hot breath into cupped hands in an attempt to warm them. All three of them watch him with varying expressions, the golden one is curious as usual, the red one is aggravated looking, likely sick of waiting for food and the green one simply watches him _hungrily_ , head tilting to the side with a short smile on his lips. Keenan’s nerves are shattered from their gazes burning into him. He wonders if he’ll really get out of this or perish trying.

 

“Human, may I ask your name?” The golden dragon asks, holding his hands behind his back. Keenan hesitates. Of course he does, a dragon is asking him for his name. Giving your name shouldn’t be dangerous, he hadn’t heard anything about dragons using names against humans before. Perhaps that's just a tactic that fae use. It seems like a genuine question.

“Keenan.” He answers, deciding it couldn’t do him any harm. The golden one smiles in receipt of the information. He wonders what the dragon's names are but he doesn't dare query them.  

“Keenan, how much longer until the soup is ready? I’m famished.” The drake groans out, almost sounding wounded. It’s bizarre to hear his name being used by dragons. It jars him for a moment, despite just supplying it to them. He can’t help but stare. The situation he’s found himself in is incredibly interesting. Cooking a meal for three mythical beings, so they don’t have _him_ for dinner instead. He feels as though there is further reasoning for them not outright murdering him. He realises after a moment of pondering that he's being analysed carefully by all of them, he assumes this is in case he tries to escape. Or they might not come across many humans except the ones they eat, making this just as weird to them as it is for Keenan.

“Not long. I’ll let you know.” He says, purposefully vague as to not allow them any time to plan anything...brutal. He has to be one step ahead just in case.

“I think I’ve eaten something with a similar name to soup, you know. It tasted horrible and it made bubbles in my mouth.” The drake trails off and shrugs his shoulders when he can’t think of the name. Keenan thinks for him, horrified with his own conclusion. 

“You don’t mean… _soap_. Do you?”

“That’s it! Horrible meal.” He sticks his forked tongue out in distaste and wrinkles his nose. The other two dragons look wide eyed at their friend, naively believing his words. Keenan doesn’t know whether to laugh to cry. He’d never dream of eating soap, even if it was desperate times. It can’t be good for you. If the drake ate soap it sounds like he’d eat anything, perhaps he’s some kind of a glutton.

“Soap isn’t food.” When Keenan breaks the news, the drake’s mouth drops open in bewilderment. The others don’t seems as surprised - the red dragon rolls his eyes. It must be a regular thing for the drake to say or do something so silly.

“It’s something humans use to clean themselves.” The golden dragon bursts into a verse of melodic laughter, pointing at the drake just to rub in the fact he ate _soap_. The drake blows an icy breath at the finger pointing at him, freezing it entirely. He turns his head away from the other dramatically while he yells and shoves his finger closer to the fire in attempts to thaw it. Keenan raises an eyebrow, mildly amused.

“Hmm, well you aren't the best smelling species. Seems like it’s required.” The red one quips, drawing his brows down at Keenan, who has no idea how to react. Is he meant to find it insulting? Is it meant to be a joke? He can’t tell, so he settles on going back to his soup. It should be finished by now.

 

Keenan realises he only has two bowls too late. He's filled two but only passed one to the drake so far. The anxiety he feels is unbelievable. His hand shakes as he fills the other bowl and sets holds it out to whoever wants it.

"Terribly sorry, I only have two bowls. The other two people can possibly wait, or I can travel home to get more."

The golden dragon bares his sharp teeth at his red friend and snatches the bowl from Keenan's hands. Keenan pulls his hand back quickly and holds it to his chest. He's frightened by the sudden outburst, that much is obvious. Just when he thinks these dragon's are decent they say or do something threatening towards him. The red dragon sighs and rises to his feet. He doesn't look angry. He simply gazes understandingly at his friend and takes a step back.

"That won't be necessary." he pauses "I'll wait."

Keenan is taken aback. It's the first time this dragon has been reasonable about anything. He's still stony faced when he says it but Keenan takes it as an apology for the previous insult. Maybe the red dragon regrets the remark but Keenan can't be sure. The others slurp their soup loudly, the drake ditching his spoon. After seeing how much more efficient it is to sip from the bowl, the golden dragon follows suit. They finish rather fast, slugging down the soup and licking their lips contentedly. They definitely look calmer than before. They leave the cave, chatting lowly between themselves as they go. Keenan pours a bowl of soup for himself and the red dragon, trying not to think about what they're speaking about. He hopes it not their plans of eating him. They eat in silence, the clinks of cutlery against porcelain and the cracks of the fire the only sounds between them.

 

It's a good soup, he has to admit. The potatoes are just filling enough and the celery and carrots are cooked to perfection, not too hard or too soft. He wishes he'd added chicken now that he thinks about it but it's still fulfilling. The steam rises from his bowl and the smell of cooked vegetables fills his senses, the soup itself warming his insides and making him feel more relaxed than he's felt all day. He sets his bowl down a moment after the red dragon finishes his own soup, looking pretty satisfied.

"Thank you...for the meal." He says. He sounds like he's struggling to thank him, even frowning when he does so. Keenan beams at him, feeling a little proud that he received any thank you at all. His soup must have really hit the spot.

"You're welcome." he leans forward, feeling a bit bold now "May I ask you a question?"

The dragon raises his eyebrows, urging him to ask his question. This one might ruin their nice moment but he can't help but be curious.

"Since I've provided my name, could I request yours? I believe we likely won't see each other again if you decide to let me go."

The red dragon frowns deeply, his eyebrows sinking down as he thinks about his response. His piercing ruby eyes almost stare right through him. He blinks and shrugs his shoulders.

"Jared. The other dragon is Tanner and the one who ate _soap_ is Andrew...happy?"

"Delighted." He laughs "Jared, can I please leave?" There's a playfulness to his tone and he swears he sees Jared's mouth almost twist into a smile. He fights it and keeps his current neutral expression, standing now.

"I won't stop you."

Keenan hops to his feet too, eyeing his belongings and debating leaving them there so the dragons didn't have a chance to change their minds. Jared is already stacking bowls and piling them up together for Keenan, helping him wash and pack everything without another word spoken. And that's it. Then he's on his way home, waving goodbye to the dragons before descending the mountain the same way he ascended. _Alone_.

 

Keenan spends the next couple of days thinking about them as he goes about his daily chores. A rickety wooden fence surrounds the garden out the back of his house. He kneels on one knee in the dirt, weeding and watering his plants. He loves the feeling of soil on his hands and there's nothing better than caring for something and seeing it grow. He smiles at his new parsley plant, little green leaves already poking out of the soil and stretching toward the sunlight. Maybe he should've been a farmer instead of a hunter. He laughs to himself at the thought as he moves slowly through his back door, wiping his hands on his trousers. He's barely through the door when frantic knocking pounds at his front door. It must be urgent if someone is almost hammering his door down. He wipes his hands again before he pulls it open. It takes him a moment to recognise the three young men. One is a brunette with unruly curls and no shoes, the other stares at him with his eyebrows raised quizzically and the final young man is a redhead with green eyes. Keenan stumbles back from them. They're human. Not their usual humanoid forms covered in dragon scales and their horns sticking out. No, they're just _human_. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Why are you...?" he trails off as Andrew pushes past him with an upset expression, sitting down on the rug by the log fire that is yet to be lit. Tanner stares after his friend, biting at his lip and laughing nervously.

"We _may_ have angered a wizard."


	2. The Wizard

Keenan's house is more of a wooden cabin than anything else, slightly rickety with some gaps and holes in the frameworks and walls. Small beams of sunlight infiltrate his home, lighting up spots on his wooden floor. The furnishings are fairly sparse, a large cast iron pot is held above a log fire by a long iron rod. His hunting tools are set aside for ease of access when he goes out. This includes his spare bow and quiver since his other ones were stolen by the dragons. A few skinned animals and their pelts hang near the wall along with a few wooden chairs strewn about carelessly. There may not be many belongings here but this is what he calls his own. Keenan stares at Tanner in astonishment from the inside of his home. Jared leans against the exterior wall of his house, looking much more stressed than Tanner does, who seems mostly amused. Andrew is poking around at the potted plants resting on a shelf by the fireplace, almost knocking one to the floor. He juggles the ceramic pot in the air, steadying it against his chest with a panicked look in Keenan's direction. Keenan watches him with wide eyes as soil spills on to the floor, snapping his head back to the others in irritation. They look sheepishly back at him.

"Why on earth did you come _here_ of all places?"

"We need help finding the damn wizard. A few villagers said he was here until this afternoon when he left for the town over."

" _And_?"

Jared sighs in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. Tanner pats him on the shoulder, still somewhat amused looking about the whole situation.

"None of us know the way on foot."

" _Seriously_? How old are you and you don't know how to get to the next town?"

He throws his hands up at them all in exasperation and watches Andrew trying his best to scoop up the dirt from the floor. What the hell has Keenan done to deserve this? He's a good man. He keeps to himself, he donates to the poor when he can and even helps the old farmer on the hill with harvesting crops in the spring. How did he deserve this menace of a group showing up at his door?

"We've never walked there, _idiot_. Only flown. If you don't want to help we can just ask someone more willing." Jared shakes his head and shoves away from the wall, stewing in his own aggravation. Tanner watches Keenan with icy blue eyes as if waiting for him to break and agree to help them.

"Keenan, you're going to help us, right?" Andrew asks, his burnt umber eyes pleading. Keenan sighs and throws his door open the whole way to allow the others inside. It's a silent agreement to them. He grabs a wooden broom propped against a bookcase and sweeps up the remaining dirt on the floor out the back door.

"Let me get my things and then we'll set off." He states, reluctantly pulling his bow over him and hiking his quiver up on to his shoulder.

 

The trail is fairly simple for the most part, although there's a crossroads just outside Keenan's village with old unreadable sign posts present, the black writing is worn from the weather and the wood itself is splintered. One of the signs has been ripped out of the ground and replaced at an angle. If you didn't know the area, a wrong turn could easily be taken. Luckily for the dragons, they have Keenan. He doesn't even hesitate as he ploughs on to the right, the arrows in his quiver jostling around as he goes and his bow clunking against the belt around his waist. The land surrounding the village is quite a sight. Golden fields of wheat line either side of the dirt path, wooden fencing keeping it confined from the rest of the world. Andrew's eyes widen when he brushes an open hand along the wheat as he walks. He stares at his hands.

"Everything feels so different." he states, his mind obviously wandering off into his thoughts as he stares into the wheat bending with a warm breeze. The sound of it swaying collectively is something similar to the ocean and Keenan smiles at the thought. _An ocean of plant life_. Andrew is so distracted he almost trips over his own feet, to which Keenan zones in on his still bare feet. His face twists in horror.

"Andrew, you can't walk around with no shoes. You'll end up with cuts on your feet."

Andrew wrinkles his nose, his brows knitting together as he shakes his head vigorously.

"I'm _not_ putting on shoes."

"He's right. Your skin's softer than before, you'll get hurt." Jared replies, attempting to sound convincing. Tanner sighs out a laugh and shakes his head. It seems like a point that's mentioned often between them, considering their reactions.

"Absolutely not!" he exclaims, frowning at the both of them for even attempting to get shoes on his feet. Tanner shushes him with a chuckle and drapes an arm around his shoulders casually. Jared rolls his eyes.

"Don't try to force him!" Tanner smirks, before adding "If you get sore feet, we're not carrying you though."

"Yes, you will." Andrew snorts, shoving the other boy away from him. Alright, maybe they're not such horrible company after all. Keenan's actually quite enjoying their playfulness and wonder of the world they walk around in, like they've never been near civilisation before. They’re all quiet for a couple of minutes after that, leaving Keenan a moment to think his first rational thought apparently.

 

It occurs to Keenan he hasn’t even asked who this wizard is or anything about the situation when they're around half way to the town. He simply strolled right out the door and into potential danger with practically strangers - no questions asked.

“Why did the wizard cast this spell on you?” He asks the question in general but he looks to Tanner.

“It’s likely a curse. We stole from him.” 

“Stole what?”

“Gold.” What purpose would a dragon have for gold? It’s not like they actually pay for things. Of course, dragons were rumoured to adore shiny things, much like magpies. Perhaps that's why they took it. 

“A stupid bag of gold and a bracelet. Not enough to curse someone like _this_.” Jared growls lowly. The sound he makes doesn’t sound as threatening as before somehow but Keenan gets the point.

“Do we know where he lives exactly?”

He receives a collective shrug of shoulders and he can feel his irritation start to rise again. _Calm down_ , he thinks. There’s no point getting annoyed over something they can’t help now. They’re dragons, after all - they’re meant to be greedy in nature. Still, maybe they should’ve had a little bit of sense instead of stealing from a wizard that could do _this_ to them.

“Then how do you expect to find him?”

Again, they shrug their shoulders at him. He feels like screaming. With little to no information they could end up missing him completely and he could move on to another town. They can interrogate a few locals to potentially find out some more, but Keenan seriously doubts they’re going to get much to go off of. Why did he even agree to help them? They threatened to eat him before and now he’s repaying them for it? He’s too nice for his own good, that’s for sure. Although, as much as he’s whining about being in their presence – it’s not that bad. Jared walks alongside Keenan, his arms crossed and his usual fed up expression on his face. Keenan watches him for a moment, his eyes are trained on the path ahead but he doesn’t seem to actually be paying attention to it. His mind is elsewhere. At least it appears to be until he snaps his head to the side to regard Keenan with a questioning expression. Keenan jumps a little and gives him an embarrassed smile, surprisingly getting one in return. Jared seems to have a hard exterior, but Keenan can see through it. He’s pleasant on the inside, he’s simply trying to protect himself. _Protect himself from what?_ Keenan thinks. It's hard to tell, but with time perhaps he'll learn the reason why.

 

This town is around the same size as Keenan's village but there is a lot more going on. Keenan watches Andrew stand on his toes to get a better look at the small, bustling street. He can see it without doing so. Shopfronts and houses frame either side of the street. There are lots of wares being sold by vendors; from weapons to animal pelts and meat. With all of this going on, it makes it somewhat narrow and awkward to manoeuvre around. Many townspeople are hopping from stall to stall, talking amongst themselves as they do so. Tanner moves to a produce stand, there are fresh vegetables and fruit stacked up in wooden boxes. He observes a townsperson pick up a tomato and rotate it a couple of times in his hand before handing a piece of gold to the vendor and placing it into a cloth bag. He snatches up a tomato and rotates it in his own hand, repeating the action he's just seen. He looks up at the vendor and then back at Keenan, who shakes his head in anticipation of his next move. Tanner smirks and takes a bite out of the tomato. Keenan slaps a hand over his eyes and sighs, coming forward to pay for the tomato. They're like children, they don't know what mischief to be up to next.

"This isn't nice." Tanner states, dropping the rest of the fruit on the ground with a sneer. A passer-by is walking past them when Jared grabs hold of her arm to stop her. Keenan's face drops.

"Do you know where the wizard Daniel lives?"

She tears her arm away, a fearful look in her eyes as she escapes briskly away from them into the crowd. Keenan shoots a warning glance at Jared, who looks cluelessly back at him. He takes hold of the two troublemakers, leading them forward by their shoulders. There's too much going on here, he needs them in an open space and away from the masses. When they get to the other side of the crowd he gives them a stern stare. How can they be so awful in social situations? You would think they'd never spoken to a single soul before.

 

While Keenan is scolding them, Andrew skips over to a couple of villagers, talking animatedly as he throws his hands around for emphasis on whatever he’s speaking about. The two women laugh delightedly and after a moment, point off into the distance as they explain something to him. Andrew nods his head and bows at the two, receiving a chorus of laughter once again as he approaches his friends again. Keenan wonders what he said to them but he’s not very good at reading mouths. Andrew looks pleased with himself though as he approaches them with a beaming smile.

“He lives in the outskirts of town, it's the only stone-built house nearby so we shouldn’t miss it.” He waves an arm for them to follow him. The two women are long gone, walking off in the opposite direction and towards the market. It takes a couple of minutes to walk to the other side of town and when they see the house, it’s just like Andrew said. You wouldn’t miss it. The house is a stone cottage on a hill just outside of town with a huge garden in the front and back. The whole structure is covered in vines and flora, it’s overgrown but it still appears kempt as it climbs the exterior of the house. The gargantuan chimney takes up half of the wall, puffing out copious amounts of smoke. The fire’s lit. A good sign that Daniel is likely home, unless he doesn’t care about burning his house down. The dragons don’t seem the slightest bit nervous as they open the wooden gate to his home and traipse past his perfectly lined crops. Keenan feels a little envious of the growth of his plants, but that’s probably down to his magic helping them grow and stay healthy. Maybe he’ll ask him for some gardening tips anyway.

 

Tanner takes the lead, nearly hammering the door down with his knocking. It's strange that he now seems somewhat on edge, considering his amusement earlier. He almost falls forward when the door opens but he quickly catches himself. The young man in front of them is not what Keenan expected. He looks as youthful as Andrew does and his blonde hair is striking. The brimmed hat he wears towers into a point, moss twisting around it. He wears a loose white shirt, tucked into brown trousers and simply wears socks on his feet. Andrew doesn’t look pleased about the fact, as he looks down at his own bare feet. Daniel crosses his arms and leans against the door frame, raising his eyebrows as he regards them.

“Can I help you?”

“We’re here to return something of yours.” Jared holds the sack of gold out and drops it into the palm of his hand. Daniel checks the inside of the bag and chuckles. He looks over them from head to toe with judgement clear in his eyes.

“I barely recognised you without the horns.”

“ _Funny_. We returned your possessions, now lift the curse, wizard.”

Daniel hums and shakes his head with another chuckle. Keenan feels his stomach drop. The laugh is menacing and the gaze he holds with the dragons even has Jared shifting where he stands. He grips at his bow. He has a very bad feeling about this.

“No.” he says simply, starting to shut the door. Andrew catches it before he has the chance to close it completely. When he speaks his tone is laced with panic.  

“What do you mean, no?”

“I mean, you haven’t learned anything. You only returned my things because you had something to _gain_. Maybe when you’re taught your lesson, I’ll lift it.” He shoves Andrew back by the shoulder and slams the door. The sound of metal sliding into place indicates he’s locked the door tight. There’s a moment of silence before all of them are bashing the door with their fists, yelling at the top of their lungs to no avail. Keenan places a hand on Tanner’s shoulder, who whips around furiously.

“You should have struck him down where he stood.” He snarls. Keenan shakes his head and turns to admire Daniel’s garden one last time before opening the gate. There’s a heavy weight on his chest. If they have to stay like this then they’ll be stuck with him. Their company is fine but not fine enough to look after them for more than a day.

“Then you would never get the curse lifted.” He states “Come hither.”

The others stop hammering the door, Andrew is the last to stop, resting his head against the hard wooden door. Jared guides him away from it, patting his shoulder gently as they drag themselves away from the cottage in defeat. They’re all upset, that’s for sure and for good reason too. Keenan can only imagine how they feel.

 

Andrew seems to boost his positivity to lighten up the situation as best he can, greeting each villager they walk past with a toothy smile. He receives friendly smiles in return, along with some strange glances at his bare feet. His feet are dirty, caked in muck and dirt. Keenan’s surprised it’s not dampened his mood at all to still be stuck as a human. The other two are definitely on a different wavelength to him. Tanner looks genuinely upset and deep in thought, while Jared glares at Andrew as he strides happily along.

“You’re not _bothered_ about this?”

“Why would I be? Humans are nice enough to be around.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” He snaps back, not bothering to elaborate as he spares a secretive glance at Keenan. Perhaps something happened between them and some humans, it would explain the strange behaviour. What could be so bad that they despise humans so much? And if they hate humans so much, why is Keenan the apparent exception?

 

The rest of the journey back to Keenan’s cabin is a quiet one. It’s a tense kind of silence that Keenan isn’t sure how to break. It’s awkward. He can’t just send them back to the mountains, they have no idea how to survive as humans and they’d be too careless with their own well-being. Not to mention he would feel responsible if something happened to them. When they reach his front door he sighs and turns to face them. They look glum, to say the least. Of course they do, they’re not in an ideal spot.

“Look,” Keenan sighs “You can stay here for now. I can try to help you but-”

“We can stay? Seriously?” Andrew gasps, he’s practically bouncing up and down in excitement. The others are wide-eyed as they stare at him. He doesn’t even hesitate to confirm his answer.

“Yes.”

As he answers, he opens the door to his home and once again Andrew slips past him and inside. He sits down on the rug by the unlit fireplace, his legs crossed. Tanner follows after him, sitting down so they’re in each other’s space. It doesn’t seem to be a problem for the other boy, he simply rests his head on Tanner’s shoulder. Keenan could guess they all usually sleep in close quarters like this, including Jared – but right now he’s still stood on the doorstep just staring at Keenan.

“You don’t have to do this. We can go elsewhere if you so please.” he looks surprised when Keenan shakes his head “…Thank you for your accommodation, Keenan.” He bites his lip and his eyes meet the floor. Keenan gets the impression he wants to say something else but he doesn’t push it and gestures him inside. Now the learning really begins for them.

 

It’s the next day when Keenan wakes up that he hears a commotion downstairs. He descends the wooden stairs, each stop creaking due to the old age of the staircase. He yawns and tries to smooth his hair down.

“What all the yelling abou-” he stops dead in his tracks when he sees them. Jared and Tanner are trying desperately to dust the filth off of Andrew while he screams and giggles, trying desperately to get away from their clutches. Clearly he’s ticklish but he looks like he’s enjoying himself. Keenan would almost find it endearing. If it weren’t for the dirt tracked around his house. It’s everywhere on Andrew, he’s covered head to toe in it. Even his face. And his mouth. It takes him a while to figure out what's going on. The blood drains from their faces as soon as they see him standing at the bottom of the stairs, perplexed looking.

"Good Morning!"

"Good Morning. Andrew...what happened?" he asks with a soft laugh but the others aren't laughing with him. He looks like he's just rolled around in mud. And maybe eaten some of it in the process.  Keenan follows the dirt tracks with his eyes to the back door and steps towards it.  Tanner lets go of Andrew and blocks his path, his hands out in front of him.

“Keenan, before you go out there. I want you to know, we tried to stop him.”

Stop him doing what? His heart is in his throat as he pushes Tanner lightly to the side and pulls the door open. It’s horrific. His carefully laid out garden is ruined. A majority of his carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and even the herbs have been ripped up from the roots. Every single plant he'd spent time and effort on is _gone_. He assumes Andrew's eaten them, dirt and all. He huffs out an exasperated breath. They weren’t even at a harvestable stage yet, how on earth did he manage to stomach them? He turns to look at the boys, trying not to look too distraught but failing miserably as he rubs his shaky hands down his face. He wants so badly to yell at them but it won’t help the situation.

“You can’t just do things like this without consequence.” He states. Jared pulls Andrew behind him as if to protect him from Keenan’s wrath “You'll bathe and wash your clothes immediately. And as for the two of you, I want you to get acquainted with the villagers and make yourself useful to them.”

Andrew turns up his nose and crosses his arms like a brat, not looking the slightest bit sorry as he hides behind Jared.

“Just for eating vegetables?”

“For eating every crop in my garden. Wash. _Now_.” He points a finger at him and then upstairs. He growls at Keenan but stomps upstairs, muttering under his breath

"And use soap!" Jared yells after him, trying to fight back an amused grin. It's nice to see the other two agreeing with him on the matter but he feels they could've tried harder to contain Andrew's impulses.

 

The boys leave the house not long after, promising to behave but Keenan can't find it in his heart to believe them. They'll no doubt get into some kind of trouble. And speaking of trouble, Andrew comes slinking down the stairs - apparently still sulking. His hair is soaking wet and dripping on to the floor. He has a towel wrapped around his waist as he shivers. Keenan feels guilty almost immediately. He'd forgotten to warm up any water for him, he definitely bathed in cold water. At least he looks and smells better though. Not a speck of dirt can be seen.

"Where will I wash my clothes?" he asks, swiping at the water dripping down the tip of his nose. Keenan's already filled the wash tub outside but the poor boy has to clothe himself before anything else.

"The garden. Let me get you some spare clothes first." Keenan's sure he has something lying around from before his growth spurt that might fit him. He grabs a couple of random articles of clothing, spying a Borg vest he used to wear when he was younger at the bottom of the wardrobe. He hesitates for a moment before hooking it over his arm anyway. It's not like he needs it anymore. Andrew snatches the clothes from him and begins to unwrap the towel from around his waist, receiving a shocked shriek from Keenan as he spins away from him and covers his eyes with his hands. He doesn't give himself the chance to see an inch of him and he shakes his head vigorously.

"You must have no shame at all!" he yells as Andrew dresses not far behind him. When he's finished he drives a finger into Keenan's shoulder and grinning cheekily when he meets his gaze. He's rolled the sleeves of his shirt and his trousers so they're slightly more fitting for him and despite being handed socks, he's still in his bare feet. The vest fits him well, he looks cosy in it as he wraps his arms around his own waist.

"Shame?" he tilts his head "For what?"

"Undressing like that!"

Andrew just looks confusedly at him before piling his dirty clothes into his arms and disappearing outside without another question asked. Keenan decides maybe it's best if he supervises him. He cringes when he sees Andrew's bare feet make contact with the muck. It's going to be quite the task getting him to even wear socks on his feet, never mind shoes. He dumps his clothes into the wash tub and looks to Keenan for guidance.

"Use the soap and scrub the stains until they go away." he crouches down and demonstrates for Andrew, who looks bored already. He turns his dark eyes to Keenan, looking sadly up at him.

"Do I have to?"

He's almost swayed into telling him no and washing the clothes for him. He's like a begging puppy. Keenan stands upright, resisting the persistent stare by turning on his heel.

"Yes." he says firmly, ignoring the soft groan of annoyance Andrew makes. Splashing sounds emit from him then as he attempts to wash his clothes.

 

The anxiety rises in Keenan’s chest when he hears Andrew shout in panic.

“My hands!” he screeches, holding them to his chest and scowling at the wash tub like it’s burned him. Keenan doesn’t have to ask, Andrew’s already blurting out an explanation of some kind “I have a _disease_! Look at them!” he holds his hands up to Keenan, showing him his pruned fingertips. Keenan can’t help the laugh that slips out past his lips. As soon as he starts, he can’t stop and there’s laughter bubbling up from his chest. Andrew looks vexed and holds his hands fearfully to his chest once more.

“You don’t have a disease. Human hands get like that when they’re in water for too long.”

Andrew’s mouth forms a soft ‘o’ shape and he looks down at his hands for a second before dragging his clothes out of the tub and looking to Keenan for guidance. The wrinkled skin seems to be the last straw for him.

“Ring them out and then hang them on the washing line.” He points to the string connected to two posts at the bottom of the garden “Make sure you peg them in place so they don’t fly off.”

Andrew looks at him like he has no idea what he’s just said but nods his head anyway. He decides it’s best if he just leaves him to it and makes his way inside to make some lunch. He’s starving, he hasn’t even had his breakfast yet. As he prepares it, he can’t help but wonder what the other two men are up to. Hopefully, they’re behaving.

 

Tanner stands inside the tavern talking to the nice lady behind the bar. She’s a small thing but her voice is sharp and her attitude matches it. Jared is minding his own business, sitting by the fire by himself and cosying up as best he can. Tanner’s sure he’s cold all the time now, it must be hard for him to deal with considering he’s usually able to produce heat and fire so easily. He stares into the fire longingly, gripping the blanket under him a little too tightly. Tanner direct his attention back to the barmaid and smiles warmly at her. This is much better than assisting villagers like Keenan told them to.

“Where are you from anyway?” She asks curiously, wiping the bar top. Tanner shrugs his shoulders and leans forward, regarding her with interest in his sparkling cerulean eyes.

“Nowhere special. May I ask _you_ a question?”

She shrugs back at him. He takes that as a yes.

“You’re a mother, yes? I get the impression from your thrown together appearance and withered expression and I-” He’s interrupting by a slap to the face. There’s a wave of burning anger in her eyes as she grits her teeth at him. The sound of the slap is enough to attract a few other’s attention but no one seems to bother him further. What’s so wrong with asking if someone is a mother? He can’t wrap his head around these humans, they’re so sensitive. Sensitive and _fascinating_. He turns to look for Jared again but he’s stood up now and one of the other villagers in the tavern is stood in his space, pointing an accusatory finger in his face and then at Tanner. Jared won’t stand for people yelling at him, he’s not the kind – he’s argumentative and he has a short fuse. He’s the strongest of them, he could hold his own in a fight. Tanner flinches as the other swings a fist at Jared, colliding with his nose. Jared is bothered by it more than he normally would be, staggering back a couple of steps and looking at the blood dripping on to his shirt from his nose. He regains himself after a brief moment and he gets his own punch in, launching the villager away from him. It all happens so fast but when villager’s friend jumps in Tanner's on his feet. By the time Tanner can make it to them to drag Jared out of the fight, he’s received a few blows to his face and stomach. Tanner drags him away, receiving a punch that surely splits his lip open as the barmaid yells half-heartedly at them to break up the fight. His heart is in his mouth but he refuses to let it show as he glares back at the violent villagers. Things aren’t the same. They aren’t as strong as they should be. They’re human now and their weaknesses are becoming very evident to them all. Next time he'll choose his words more carefully, as to not upset the delicate humans.

“Home?” his own question hits Tanner a little hard, perhaps he means their real home for a moment – back at their cave. Right now, he means Keenan’s house. It's their temporary home until they can work out a way around this whole ordeal. He sees the look of yearning in Jared’s eyes too, if only they could go back home to some kind of normalcy.

 

Keenan makes a fuss when the boys come back. He’s just finished plating some bread, meat and cheese for them and as soon as he sees Jared’s face, he drops whatever he’s doing. He’s grabbing his shoulders and steadying him.

“What the hell happened?!” he yells. He tilts Jared’s face down as he tries to take note of every wound, including his bleeding nose and already bruised eye. Jared shoves his hands away lightly and tries to hide his rosy cheeks. Of course he’s embarrassed. Normally, he’d probably of eaten someone for breakfast and been done with it but getting beaten up? Keenan could guess that’s a new occurrence for him. During all the fuss, Andrew appears at the back door with a worrisome expression. Tanner lets go of Jared when he’s made sure Keenan has hold of him and goes to Andrew, keeping him out of the situation.

“Jared?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” He tells the younger boy, shooting him a reassuring smile. Andrew watches onward in concern until Tanner leads him outside. Keenan’s heart aches. He’s never seen them act so much like a family, but it’s clear now. That’s exactly what they are.

 

He pushes a rag into Jared’s hand and guides it to pinch his nose. They look at each other for a time before Keenan’s fumbling around for any kind of medical supplies. He grabs alcohol for Jared’s wounds and comes back with a clean cloth to wipe his face with. He sits Jared down and leans with him as he dashes the alcohol on to the cloth. He touches the damp corner to the cut on his cheek and gets a hiss of pain in response.

“Sorry.” He cringes, dabbing at the cut as gently as he can “Who did this to you?”

Jared avoids eye contact as he shrugs. It's clear he's not happy with the fact someone got the better of him. His eyes drift to the garden, where Tanner took Andrew.

“Some of the villagers. They said strangers aren’t welcome in the tavern. You could have _warned_ us.”

“You’re allowed to go wherever you want. They’re the ones in the wrong, not you two.”

"This is why we don't get along. Us and humans." he says "It just ends in violence."

Keenan's eyebrows knit together. It seems like Jared is referring to a previous event. He's thought about it before but maybe something horrible really did happen between them and humans in the past. It would certainly explain their behaviour. He doesn't bother to push the subject.

"You're not dragons anymore, they won't hurt you for _that_ reason. But humans hurt each other sometimes too, it's just how some of them are."

"But not you," Jared says. His eyes finally meet Keenan's "You seem to be...different." _Different_. Keenan smiles at that. Jared's making an exception for him and him only. He's gained a slight bit of trust from the other man. It's what he needs to help them through this ordeal and to get them back to normal as soon as possible. He knows it's going to be difficult to coach them out of bad behaviours but if it's the only way to return them to normalcy, it might just sway them enough to oblige with his teachings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started back to work on Monday and I've been plowing through writing in between calls etc. and at home! It took me a little longer to write this chapter and I still feel like it's a little filler-ish but I really poured a lot of work in and I wanted to get this posted ASAP for y'all. It's all the set-up for things to come in future chapters. So buckle up friends! 
> 
> If you haven't already, check out neglected-sadist on tumblr for his illustrations based around our Dragon AU! 
> 
> His tumblr: https://neglected-sadist.tumblr.com/
> 
> My tumblr: https://cheesebeanmilk.tumblr.com/
> 
> I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter, I'm honestly thrown by how many reads it got. I hope you liked this chapter just as much and stay with me for the future chapters too!


	3. The Storm

Keenan stands in the woods nearby his village with his bow drawn and an arrow at the ready. Many kinds of trees tower over his head, their leaves creating a blanket and blocking out the majority of the sun. He's glad to get out of the heat, if even for a couple of hours. Pine needles and leaves cover the majority of the forest floor, creating a makeshift carpet to cover the dirt. His worn boots are planted firmly in the muck as he observes the doe in front of him. She sniffs at the ground and stumbles on frail legs around a tree trunk. She looks weak and hungry - she's easy prey. Keenan can feel Jared's eyes burning into the back of his head as he lines up his bow with the animal. He inhales through his nose quietly as he pulls back on the arrow and lets it fly. As soon as the arrow leaves his hand, he's yanking another one from his quiver and readying it to strike the doe. A pained cry from the animal lets him know he's hit her and she prances off quickly into the thick of the forest. Her blood creates an easy track to follow.

 

Keenan waves his hand for Jared to follow him, glancing over his shoulder to ensure he's doing just that. Their eyes meet and Jared smiles awkwardly at him. It's been a couple of days since the escapade in the tavern and his face is still blotted with bruises and scabs. Despite still being hurt, he seems to be in a better mood. He's starting to warm to Keenan as the days go on. There's a definite improvement in their relationship, even if it is an odd joke or smile from the other man. It's not just Jared either, Andrew and Tanner seem to be friendlier too. Although, Andrew was stuck to his friends' sides after the fight, refusing to let them out of his sight in fear of something else happening to them. Keenan gave them a few days to recover their confidence again, having them help with simple household chores at first. Now, he's teaching Jared how to hunt. Keenan knows he likely has his own way of hunting, he is somewhat of a wild animal himself but it's not a method he can use for now in his human state. So here he is, trying his hardest to show Jared how to track down wounded animals on foot and teaching him how to use a bow. Keenan returns Jared's smile and takes off, following the fawn's blood trail. It doesn't take long at all to find the doe again and Keenan finds himself feeling sorry for her as she stands completely still, her legs trembling. He doesn't allow himself to hesitate about it as he raises his bow and takes aim, shooting the arrow into her neck. The velocity of the arrow staggers her and she falls with a thump. She's still breathing when Keenan approaches her. He frowns and strokes a hand down her snout comfortingly as he unsheathes his knife from his hip scabbard, ending her suffering in one clean cut. Jared lets out a breath and leans against the tree next to Keenan.

"That was intense."

Keenan hums in agreement, cleaning the blood from his knife. He's not sure why he chose the life of a hunter, considering he doesn't enjoy the thrill or glory of it. There's no glory in killing a helpless animal, after all. He pulls the arrows out of the doe's body and wipes them off before returning them to his quiver.

 

They haul the fawn's body home. It's heavier than it looks but Keenan is used to the weight as he hoists it up on his shoulder. When they get home Andrew and Tanner are tending the garden and hanging clothes on the washing line. Andrew screams when Tanner throws a sopping wet sock across the garden, slapping him in the face with it. He howls with laughter as the other boy chases him half-heartedly, yelling threats he doesn't intend on acting on. Keenan rolls his eyes and drops the doe on the long wooden table he uses for skinning and cutting up his kills. He plans to leave it there for Tanner to prepare. In the last couple of days, he's taught them all a few skills. Tanner showed a special interest in the preparation of meat and dead animals, he picked up on it rather fast too. Keenan turns toward the front door again and bumps into Jared, who steadies him immediately.

"Where are you going?"

"Target practice. You're coming too."

Jared raises his eyebrows but follows him nonetheless.

 

Keenan hops a fence surrounding the farmland across the road, landing lightly on his feet and standing back as Jared follows after him. The field is filled with tightly rolled hay bales, the perfect targets for archery practice. The old farmer that owns the land is the same one Keenan helps in the spring with harvesting his crops. It’s only fair that he lets him practice his aim here. Jared’s foot catches on the fence on the way over and he goes toppling forward, knocking Keenan off his feet. They land with a soft thump, Jared on top of Keenan. Keenan barely has a chance to register the situation as Jared’s already scrambling to his feet and stumbling back a couple of steps. He glares at the fence, his cheeks misted over a light shade of pink. It looks like he’s about to apologise but he purses his lips into a thin line instead and offers Keenan a hand up. He accepts the help, laughing as he gets to his feet. It’s funny to see him so bent out of shape about a simple fall.

“You have the grace of an elephant.” He remarks. Jared’s mouth drops open in offence and recoils from Keenan with a scowl.

“Well, we shouldn’t be climbing fences like children! Why couldn’t we just go through the gate?”

Keenan shrugs in reply, a smile still tugging at his lips as he shoves his bow into Jared’s hands. He blinks down at the bow.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Keenan gestures Jared to come to him, helping him position himself correctly. He rests a hand on the small of his back to straighten it out and taps Jared’s foot with his own so he spreads his legs a little more.

“You want to pull the bowstring back until it rests at the corner of your mouth.” Jared draws the bowstring back as directed, his shoulders straining as he does so. Keenan taps his fingers on the other's shoulder “And when you’ve taken correct aim on your target, let go.”

He does as told, flinching at the sound the string makes as the tension is released from it. The arrow goes flying off into the field, landing amongst the long grass. Keenan twirls another arrow between his fingers and positions it for Jared, holding his elbow in place. He draws back, his shoulders tightening again as he holds it in place. His shoulders rise and fall slightly as he breathes.

“Deep breath. In through your nose and hold. Release when you follow through with your shot.”

Goosebumps rise on Jared’s arms as he sucks in a breath. He’s quiet for a moment before he lets the arrow fly, it soars through the air and buries itself in the left side of the hay bale. Jared cheers and jumps away from Keenan, his arms in the air.

“I’m the God of archery!” he laughs, catching the amusement in Keenan’s eyes before he clears his throat and attempts to compose himself, kicking at the grass under his feet.

“You hit the target at least.”

“At least? Alright, no need to belittle my achievement, Keenan.”

“Well, Jared – I’m just saying that you could do better.” He quips with a playful smirk. Jared glares at him and aims the empty bow at his head, loading an imaginary arrow into it. He pulls back and after a moment, let's go. Keenan gasps dramatically, gripping his heart and falling back on to the grass. He plays dead for a couple of seconds before he bursts into laughter. When he sits up he catches Jared laughing too. This time he doesn’t bother composing himself.

 

Later that same afternoon, Tanner stands with a pile of books in his hands stacked up to his chin. He’s stood in a small bookshop located on the edge of the village. It’s claustrophobic and Tanner is certain he’s seen bigger broom closets but the books are overflowing regardless of the size of the place. Short stacks of books are piled along the edges of bookcases that reach toward the ceiling. It’s a messy space and Tanner couldn’t stand to look at it any longer. So here he is, helping the owner arrange the place to be a bit more…orderly. The owner is a sweet man with brown hair, pushed back out of his kind mahogany eyes. He’s young, probably around Keenan’s age if Tanner has to guess.

"What did you say your name was?" he asks.

"Tanner."

"Well, I'm Shane!" he exclaims, his smile bright enough to blind Tanner. He shoves a few books haphazardly on to one of the empty shelf spaces and dusts his hands off on his trousers. It's clear he wants to talk more but he settles on watching Tanner shelve his own stack of books in alphabetical order instead. His watchful eyes are distracting as they dart from the books to Tanner's face. Human's can be so excitable. Tanner smiles, reminding himself of Andrew's behaviour. He's the most excitable being he knows but Shane seems like he would come a close second.

"May I ask why you're staying with Keenan?"

The question takes him off-guard, he's not sure why but it certainly throws him off and the book he's holding slips out of his hand. He blinks at the fallen book and carefully retrieves it from the floor and stores it away. It's likely well-known by now, it's a small village and word likely travels fast. It's strange for people to know his business. Usually, he's the one who knows more about his prey. It's never been the other way around.

"We're friends. Visiting from a mountain town north of here." he pauses "Do you know Keenan well?"

"I've known him since we were children. He's a friend of mine too."

It’s abnormal for him. To be questioned instead of questioning. He’s not sure he likes it but he answers Shayne’s questions anyway.

“Keenan’s father actually helped me with funds for this place.” Tanner’s ears prick up at the mention of new information. Keenan had never mentioned his family. Tanner was beginning to wonder if he had any at all. Humans are much more involved in their family lives than dragons usually are. He raises a brow quizzically.

“What did his father do?”

“Let’s just say hunting runs in the family.” Shayne shrugs his shoulders and forces a few more books in at the end of the bookcase. Tanner cringes at the action and takes a mental note of where the books were placed so he can fix them later. Hunting runs in the family? Why hadn’t Keenan mentioned that before, it seems like the kind of thing that would be notable at least. Perhaps Keenan doesn’t have a good relationship with his family and that’s why he hadn’t said anything. To be fair, he doesn’t know Tanner or the others very well to mention anything that personal about himself, but it seems like they’ve known each other for longer. Even Jared has warmed up to him a bit, much to Tanner’s surprise. Andrew seems to of gotten friendlier too after the resentment of being punished the other day. Tanner smiles at the thought, Andrew’s as stubborn as a mule – it’s a wonder he even did what Keenan told him. Not to mention Jared traipsing around with the human and taking classes in hunting or whatever they do together for hours.

 

Tanner yelps when he fumbles with the book in his hand and almost falls off the stool he’s stood on. He grabs hold of the edge of the bookshelf and huffs out a frustrated sigh. He’s never been so clumsy in his life. He continues to surprise himself when he can’t carry out simple tasks with his usual amount of grace. He’s off balance. He thought it was amusing at first, even a little interesting being human but the novelty is starting to wear off. He’s starting to realise he’s not as durable as he once was, he’s weak and there’s nothing he can do about that. A white light irradiates the bookshop, following by a low roar or thunder. Tanner’s heart lurches in his chest and this time he does tumble off of the stool. His back collides with the bookshelf behind him and he sucks in a tight breath. It takes him a moment to register the emotion he’s feeling as fear but when he does, he can’t help the confusion that floods his brain with it. Why would he be scared of an element he could control? But you can’t control it - not anymore, he thinks. Perhaps that’s what’s making him panic. If they never return to normal, what will he do? He won’t feel the electricity in his veins with every roar he emits amidst the clouds – or even be able to fly above the clouds to begin with. He heaves in a breath when Shayne touches his shoulder, beside him now as he tries not to look like a cornered animal. But that’s exactly what he is, cornered in a situation he would much rather not be a part of. He pushes Shayne away from him, muttering out a weak excuse before he takes to the winds outside. He has to get home. He holds his white sash down as the wind whips through it. Maybe he should consider another form of clothing in the future, he's sure Keenan would have something for him to borrow…or maybe he could snatch Andrew’s clothes. He practically sprints home, heart in his throat as the storm tries its hardest to catch up to him.

 

By the time the dark cumulonimbus clouds hang over his head, he’s already shutting the door to Keenan’s house a little too forcefully. Jared is watching Keenan skin some kind of hoofed animal. He only has to look at Tanner for him to come close to a breakdown. His bottom lip quivers and his eyes sting with tears, threatening to spill down his cheeks. Jared’s in front of him in a second and pulling him into a tight embrace. Tanner wraps his arms around the other man and sniffs, shutting his eyes in an attempt to stop himself from crying. He really is weak if he’s blubbering about something so trivial. Life would still go on if he were to stay this way – but the dilemma is that he doesn’t want to. Jared rests his chin on top of Tanner’s head. Keenan watches them with wide eyes, likely shocked at the state Tanner’s worked himself into.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I-” Tanner’s voice wavers and he clears his throat “I’m scared that we’ll be stuck like this.”

“We won’t be. We’re working on it, it’s just a matter of…trying to improve.” Jared rubs a comforting circle in Tanner’s shoulder. He knows Jared cares about him, they all care about each other dearly but he’s never been so very gentle with him. There’s one other time that he behaved similarly but Tanner had been injured and they were sure he was going to die. This is nowhere close to that but he’s still being…very soft.

“What if I can’t?”

“You can and you will.”

Jared squeezes him once more before he lets go, leaving Tanner feeling slightly warmed. He’s right. He knows he has to try his best but he’s frightened his best won’t be enough. Still, he knows Jared and Andrew are here to support him when he needs it. Keenan too, he supposes. Although, he’s still not entirely sure what he needs to improve on, his greedy tendencies could be worked on but what’s wrong with wanting things? He’s greedy for information for the most part...and everything else he can get his claws on. It was him and Andrew that caused this whole mess by stealing from the wizard in the first place but Tanner loves gold. He could bathe in the amount of gold he has stored in their cave. Jared had made the point of how useless it is to have lying around but Tanner couldn't disagree more. It's practically part of him. A part of him he's going to have to rid himself of if he's ever to return to normal. He knows that but he's not ready to accept it just yet. His thoughts stop dead as he realises Andrew isn't present. Where could he be? Surely he's not out in the storm. His heart sinks at the thought and he looks to Keenan, who looks worriedly back at him.

 

Andrew is sprawled out on his back in the long grass of an open field. He's staring up at the sky as lazy clouds float overhead. A cool breeze whistles through the blades of grass, tickling his toes. Keenan sent him out of the house to help the old shepherd halfway out of town. He sits up, crossing his legs and leaning his head on his hand with a fed up huff. He’s meant to be herding sheep but he’s gotten bored very quickly. He wishes he had his magic so he could at least make some fun in terrorising the creatures but here he is – sitting as a cat with midnight fur sticks its nose in his hair and sniffs him. It's feet are rested on his shoulder, body curled around his neck. He waves his hand in an attempt to shoo the cat away but it simply shoves his face into his palm. It’s soft. Softer than he expects. A grin spreads on to his lips and he turns to stroke a hand softly along its head. Maybe this isn’t so bad. He hauls himself to his feet and pats the cat again before he prepares the pen for the sheep. He swings the gate open, the hinges screech in reluctance at the motion. He twirls the shepherd's crook clumsily in his hand, almost hitting himself with the stick. The plump cat follows him as he attempts to herd the rest of them. The sheep aren’t as friendly. In fact, they’re rather stubborn and Andrew is tempted to pick some of them up and just throw them as hard as he can into the pen. He snickers at the thought but instead he tries to block off every other pathway they try to run to, throwing his arms and legs out wide and squealing in frustration when one of them ducks between his legs and escapes away from him. He groans after one too many attempts to get the sheep to cooperate. Has he lost his intimidating touch? Maybe this human thing comes with a lot more negatives than he originally thought. He wishes he could return to his dragon form and leave this place. He doesn't belong here, in a pen - or amongst humans. He's too wild. Much too wild for being cooped up in a village, much less being trapped in this weak human form. His feline friend leans over him, shoving its face in his wild curls again and pushing a giggle out of him. For a moment, Andrew considers leaving the sheep to their own devices. They're wild animals, after all. Perhaps they crave the same freedom he does. Keenan wouldn't be happy if he lost a whole herd of creatures though and he might be thrown out in the street, or worse - punished with household chores. He wrinkles his nose at the thought.

“Okay, once more.” He agrees, scratching the cat behind her ear. With a few more attempts, nudging and wide gestures toward the sheep, he manages to get them in the pen. It's not the way he's seen shepherd's herd sheep but his own method seems to work for the most part. He locks them in and sticks his tongue out at them as he drives the shepherd's stick into the ground triumphantly. That'll show them for defying him. Maybe he'll come back and eat them when he's back to normal.

 

It's a fairly long walk home and he seems to be walking toward a storm. Andrew stares up the dark clouds looming ominously above the village, a smile slipping on to his lips. Normally, where there was a storm - Tanner was right there with it, golden and glorious as he dipped in between clouds and illuminating the sky with his roars, lightning pouring out of him. The thrill of seeing the other seems to drain from him quickly when he remembers the situation at hand. They're human. It's been a few days since the beginning of this great hindrance but Andrew still can't wrap his head around it most of the time. He's constantly forgetting himself. He doesn't believe that good behaviour will turn them back. That's why he's simply doing what he wants. He puts on a front for the villagers, exchanging pleasantries and helping them when Keenan asks, but he never really helps them out of the goodness of his heart. Each time, he'll help but take something to repay his efforts. Whether it's food or something small and valuable looking that won't be missed...much. He assumes the small cat walking alongside him could be missed but he doesn't care much, it's pledged it's allegiance to him now - he might as well be his now.

 

The downfall of rain is almost like a wall when he gets back to town. Where he stands he's dry. But one more step and he'll feel the spits of rain tapping at his skin. The feeling of rain is something he adores deeply. Once again, it's probably because of the connection it has with Tanner. He strides forward, tilting his face up towards the sky as rain embraces him, running down his cheeks and soaking his hair as he strolls along. Fat blobs start to accumulate at the ends of his curls, dropping on to his shoulders and tickling his neck as it trickles along his flesh. He sucks in a deep breath and beams up at the sky.

 

His moment of joy short-lived. A sharp pain in his left forearm has him hissing in pain and holding it close to his chest. It feels like something is trying to break out from under his skin. The stumpy cat meows in concern from next to him, nudging its nose into his leg. His breaths are uneven as he tries not to cause too much of a commotion about the pain, stroking the top of the cat's head with a trembling hand. He holds his breath as another stabbing pain shoots up his arm when he arrives at the front door of Keenan's house. The cold he feels is intense, sending shivers down his spine as he tries to even out his breathing. He guides the cat inside and slams the door behind him. A quizzical gaze is pointed his way almost immediately as Jared looks up over the top of the book he's reading. He's positioned by the lit fireplace on one of the wooden chairs as Tanner sits on the floor, rubbing his hands together to warm them.

 

Keenan looks dumbfoundedly at the cat trotting around in his living room and then to Andrew, searching for an answer.

"He followed me home, he's mine now." he explains weakly, trying to ignore the stinging pain in his arm. Keenan's mouth drops open as he bumps his head into his shin, a silent demand for attention. He scratches the cat's head and sighs quietly, not bothering to argue as Andrew settles himself into Tanner’s side, still soaking wet. Tanner yelps in surprise.

“You’re freezing!” he squeaks out, pulling him closer in an attempt to warm him. Or so it would seem. He grips him a little too tightly for that. Something's happened while he's been gone, he can tell by the way Tanner is touching him with desperate, shaky hands. He doesn't mention it but he will later.

“I’m always cold…” Andrew sniffs “It’s my thing.” 

“Not for now it isn’t. Come on, you have to get out of those clothes.” Tanner’s on his feet in a second. Andrew feels like all of his energy is slowly draining out of him but rises to his feet as well. If changing is will keep Tanner from panicking, perhaps it's in his best interest to oblige.

 

It’s a couple of minutes before they come downstairs again, Andrew is wearing his own clothes he came here in and his hair is fluffed up from towelling it off. When he settles by the fire Jared throws a thick embroidered blanket over his shoulders and ruffles his damp mop of hair with a soft smile. Andrew’s toes poke out of the bottom of the blanket as he clutches it tighter around himself. It wasn't one of his best ideas to get soaked in the rain, he's starting to realise that much. He shivers as Tanner fixates on brewing a cup of tea for him. Andrew watches him for a couple of moments with droopy eyes, making grabby hands at him. He stirs the tea once more before handing the cup to him carefully. Steam rises from the cup, dispersing as he rests his bottom lip on the brim and blows softly. He tries to focus his mind on the beverage in front of him instead of the agony snaking its way around his arm. He doesn't want to alert the others, it's probably nothing anyway. Tanner sighs as he settles down on a chair on the opposite side of the fire and Andrew shuffles across to him, leaning his back against Tanner’s legs and resting his head in his lap. Tanner smiles at him and plays with his hair thoughtfully.

"Are you alright? You're shaking."

Andrew hums weakly and presses his head into Tanner's touch. He needs comfort right now, not a million questions aimed at him. The pain under his skin is ice cold as it slices at his flesh from beneath. He bites his lips and shuts his eyes, trying his best to conceal his agony. What's wrong with him? Something isn't right. He doesn't know what but something is dreadfully wrong. He inhales slowly through his nose in an attempt to calm himself. He won't say anything until he's sure about his condition. It's nothing that can't wait until he's figured it out. He doesn't bother to answer the question, Tanner would know he's lying but his vague hum in response seems to be enough this time and Tanner thankfully drops the subject, continuing to stroke his hand through his curls. Maybe he can pretend things are alright. Just for a little while longer. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally uploaded! I'm sorry it took so long to write y'all. Writer's block hit HARD and I couldn't get past it for a bit! But I'm over it now and back to write more for you guys! I know this part is a little shorter but this is all I felt was needed for this chapter. It took a really long time for me to actually like what I'd written and I took a lot of stuff out that didn't really fit with the feel of the fic - I hope you still enjoy it!


	4. The End

Keenan decides to take the boys fishing the next day. Catching some fish is sure to lift their spirits. Keenan stands with his fishing pole dug into the grass bank. The grass is long here, up to his calves at least. Andrew is sat in the middle of it with his legs crossed as he attempts to hook his bait, his tongue sticks out as he concentrates as hard as he can on the task at hand. Jared has his bait hooked and he’s trying to help Tanner, who insists he can do it himself. The bank is a few miles from town, on the other side of thick woods and they’re stood on a meander just before the river opens up into a large lake. The water glistens in the sunlight and there’s the odd ripple of water as a fish flicks its shiny tail or raises its head to the surface. It looks like there’s plenty of fish for the taking. Keenan is pulled from his starry-eyed gaze as Andrew hisses. He's jabbed his finger with the hook and now he's sucking the blood from his fingertip, looking distressed. He looks at Keenan for help and gets a shake of his head in return. With a pout, he throws the fishing rod down in a tantrum and starts ripping daisies from the ground. He lays back on the grass, letting the blades poke softly into the back of his arms and neck. He sighs and pierces a hole in the stem of a daisy, threading a secondary flower through the hole and smiling at the shortest daisy chain on earth. Keenan raises his eyebrows but doesn’t try to force him to fish, at least they’re out together and getting some fresh air. When Tanner finally gets his own bait dealt with they all position themselves in front of the lake. Jared watches as Keenan casts his line out, tripping over himself as he tries to do the same. Keenan's pretty sure he almost hooks the back of his shirt. He glares at Andrew, who starts laughing. Jared corrects himself and stands up straight, grinning when he casts the line right this time. He glances at Keenan to see if he's watching and sure enough, he is. There's a sparkling look in his eye of pride that he's carried out the simple task and Keenan can't help but find it endearing.

 

Andrew yawns, spreading his arms and legs out in the grass patch with a soft whine. It's been a while since anyone's said anything, the rush of the river and the twitting of birds fills the silence for them. Silence isn't something Andrew seems to be familiar with. Neither is sitting still for longer than five minutes.

“Do we have to wait much longer? I’m _bored_.”

“I’d tell you to splash around in the lake but you’d scare all the fish away.” Keenan trails off and hums as he tries to think of something for the young man to busy himself with before he starts up his chaotic behaviours.

“Climb a tree.” Jared suggests with a shrug “I bet you could see the house from the top of that one.” He points to a tall oak tree on the other side of the lake, glancing over his shoulder at Andrew – who ponders on the suggestion for a moment before he hops to his feet and takes off, leaping through the river on the other side and almost slipping on the bank. Jared shakes his head but there's amusement in his eyes. It’s good to see them calming down about things, as much as Keenan doesn’t want to – he can’t help but worry about them. They seem to be improving but Andrew’s still a little wild and he's greedy as hell too – Tanner certainly shares that trait. He has no idea how the two of them get along at all, considering how much they refuse to share. Tanner has a habit of prying for information, digging his claws into anything he can pick up on and yanking whatever secrets he can out into the open. Not to mention his obsession with gold, Keenan's noticed some of his own going missing lately. Jared gives what he has to his friends but he’s prideful and there’s an emotional wall built up around him that’s proving harder to break down than Keenan originally anticipated. He still hasn't found out why he’s so distrusting and secretive. Now that he thinks about it, Keenan doesn’t know much about any of them. He knows their behaviours but anything deeper than that is a mystery. His mind wanders back to something he thought about when he first met them.

“Are the rumours about dragons true?” Keenan ask vaguely, he purses his lips when Jared and Tanner turn their attention to him

“Depends on which rumour you mean. Do I love gold? Yes. Am I greedy? Eh - you could certainly _say_ that.” Tanner smirks “Although I’m actually fairly forgiving, Jared on the other hand-”

“Tanner.” Jared snaps, interrupting the other. His face has gone red and there’s a fire in his eyes as he glares at him. Keenan can see a mixture of emotion in his eyes beyond just anger, there’s an underlying hurt that makes Keenan’s heartache. The whole conversation escalated very quickly, he’s not sure how the hell it did. Unforgiving for what? He’s never been more curious in his life but he doesn’t push for any more information. He has a feeling the subject is already stretched thin. A look is exchanged between Tanner and Jared that he can’t read in the slightest. Tanner slides a hand along the shoulder he has covered by his white sash, bunching his hand up in the fabric. There’s something deeper to what he said. Why would there be a situation where Jared had to be unforgiving? Was it conflict with humans? He’d mentioned that it was inevitable before, his statement has to be based on events that happened between them and humans at some point. Some kind of conflict.

“Let me ask _you_ something.” Tanner’s tone is low as he speaks, far too serious compared to his usual light and airiness “Dragon hunters still exist amongst humans, do they not?” Keenan’s blood runs cold at the question, he’s sure his expression says it all. This is one subject he doesn’t want to touch on in the slightest and it shows. His jaw clenches and unclenches, his shoulders stiff. Jared narrows his eyes at Keenan's reluctance to answer.

"Yes. Unfortunately so."

"Then you can understand why we're so hesitant to trust your kind."

Keenan nods. He understands completely. It's not as hard for him, considering they're relying on his help. Without him, they wouldn't be getting so far and he thinks they know that.

"I apologise if I was being intrusive. It wasn't my intention."

Tanner shrugs his shoulders, already dropping the subject when he catches a glimpse of Andrew, who's slips down the base of the tree. He must've raced to the top already and now he was approaching them looking rather pale. There's sweat at his brow and he holds his arm to his chest. Had he fallen and hurt his arm? Buck meets Keenan's eyes for a moment and let's go of his arm, trying to force a smile on to his lips.

 

Now that he's closer he can see it. Andrew’s pale. Too pale.

 

Everything happens so quickly. One moment he’s standing up, trying to smile at them. The next he’s on the ground. Keenan drops what he’s doing, hurdling toward the other boy. He’s broken out in a sweat, lips dry and cracked.

“I’m alright.” He’s not. Keenan can tell that much. Tanner and Jared are by his side after a moment of shock, Tanner skids to his knees and doesn’t bother trying to hide the panic on his face. He places a hand to Andrew’s face and frowns deeply.

“I think it’s time to go home.”

Keenan helps Andrew to his feet, supporting his weight as they pack up and head home for the day. So much for keeping everyone’s spirits up with fishing. It seems like things are tenser than before but maybe it’s just because Andrew isn’t well. It's fairly obvious now that him getting wet was something they shouldn't have overlooked.

 

When they get home Tanner takes Andrew off Keenan's hands as Jared makes a bed out of blankets for him, laying the boy down when it’s ready. Tanner soaks a rag, ringing it out and pressing the cold material to Andrew’s forehead. He gently pushes his hair out of his face, his own stress evident. That seems to be a regular emotion for him these days. When Keenan first met them he’d been very laidback and playful but that seems like so long ago now. He’s been fairly serious since the storm, like the weight of the situation has finally hit him. He’d been having fun with it before that for the most part, a few bumps in the road here and there but he’d been managing to keep his chin up despite that. Not now. This seems to be the final straw and he looks like he could cry. Tanner’s cried once already, it’s not like he’s never cried before but he’s meant to be the strong one. He has to be strong for Andrew. What else is he good for? He inhales deeply and squeezes his eyes shut. He can’t cry. He _won’t_ cry. Andrew grabs his free hand, squeezing it tight.

“I’m okay, really.” He tries to sit up but Tanner holds a firm hand to his shoulder and shakes his head.

“You’re sick. You need to rest.”

Andrew's eyebrows scrunch together and he allows Tanner to tuck the blankets around him. He doesn't look happy about it but at least he's letting him do it in the first place. He could be so stubborn at times but Tanner is his soft spot. He's the only person that could get him to do things when he didn't want to. Tanner doesn't know if he should take pride in that or if he, himself is just manipulative. He really wouldn't like to think so. At least, not with Andrew.

 

It’s raining outside. It seems like it's all it ever does anymore. It’s not bad enough to be a storm but the sky is a light grey and the rain has turned into a horrible mist. Trees outside sway in the wind, water dripping off of the leaves. A couple of metal buckets have been laid out to catch the odd drop of water that infiltrates the ceiling of Keenan’s room. Jared’s glad he’s inside. He’s lying down on the floor, back pressed against the bed as he reads a book. Keenan is laid on the bed on his stomach, his own book in his hands. They’ve been reading in the quiet for a bit together. As quiet as it can be with the sound of the rain pattering against the roof and windows. Tanner and Andrew are downstairs, a makeshift bed has been made up of blankets laid on the floor and a donated pillow from Keenan. Andrew’s still sick. They figure it’s a cold since he’s running a fever and his nose is either blocked or something similar to a leaky faucet. Surprisingly, he hasn’t been making the biggest fuss about being ill, it’s taken most of them off-guard, considering how vocal he is about most things. It’s unlike him. Which worries Jared more. They’d gone out in search for some kind of herbal remedy from a local healer, who offered an elderberry and ginger tea. It was a hefty amount to pay but Tanner pushed his own gold into the healer's hands and went on his merry way. Jared raised his eyebrows at him and received a shake of his head in reply.

“Andrew needs this.” To say Jared was surprised is an understatement. Tanner had never given his money up – even for things he desired, he’d simply steal the desired object before he’d pay for it. Andrew is obviously more than that, he’s worth more to them and it’s obvious that Tanner would give his left leg if it would help the other out. Still, his friends are both acting strange, nothing like they normally would and there’s been a strange shift in the atmosphere between them the last couple of days.

“I think they’re just learning and improving.” Keenan says when Jared mentions the point. He’s not sure what brought him to open up the human of all people but he finds himself leaned against the bed and looking up at him with furrowed brows.

“It’s…bizarre. I’ve never seen them behave so _unlike_ themselves.”

“They’re growing as people, that’s all. Grow with them and be happy for their improvements.” He offers a warm smile to Jared, who flushes and focuses back on his book for a moment. He’s grown alright – grown attached to this human. Even after everything he’s been through with humans before. After everything Tanner had been through before. He can’t help but feel warmly toward him.

 

He knows Tanner has picked up on it. He gives him odd glances he’s not entirely sure how to read. It’s an expression he’s never seen aimed at him before and that fact alone makes him uncomfortable. He sighs and gets to his feet. It’s almost been a week since they’d become human now and they’re still not back to normal. It’s not like Jared can’t stand it. He doesn’t mind Keenan’s company and it’s nice to blend into the crowd for once. Usually, he’d feel the opposite. Human’s basking in the horror that is his dragon form, as he burns down their whole village around them. He blinks. He’s only done that a couple of times, of course. And it was in retaliation. Tanner had gotten hurt before, they’d caught him when Jared was out on his final flight of the night. He’d already fallen asleep and the humans ambushed their cave and almost hacked one of his wings off. He’s surprised he even survived the attack. Jared can still remember the pained cries from his friend as he swooped down to the mouth of the cave. It’s a sound he never wanted to hear again and he went out of his way to make sure he didn’t.

 

He followed the humans home and burned the place down in a fit of rage. From then, he burned down two more villages. That’s when they met Andrew and he was upset about the village near him being in ruins. Jared smiles at the thought. He’d taken them off-guard, pouncing on top of Tanner in an attempt at intimidation. It might’ve worked if Tanner hadn’t reacted how he reacted at the time.

“What’re you smiling about?” Keenan interrupts his thoughts.

“I’m just thinking.” He laughs “The others and I have come a long way since we first met.”

“You’ve come a long way since _we_ met. You’re much less…willing to eat me.”

“I’m not sure about that one.” Jared laughs, watching gleefully as Keenan flushes pink and squirms under his gaze.

“Well, you…definitely smile more at least. Before I thought you were going to end me on the spot.”

“I might’ve.”

“We’re friends now though, right?” Jared hesitates. Friends with a human. He’d been friends with a human before when he was young and naïve. It hadn’t ended well for either of them. The human betrayed him and Jared had to leave his home, not the best first-impression of humans, that’s for sure. From then, he’d avoided them as best he could. Minding his business when he could. Up until they hurt Tanner - that was the final straw. He’s never looked back since. Until now. Now he’s sitting here with a human, who’s practically _asking_ him to be friends. His heart is in his throat when he nods his head, every fibre of his being screaming at him to reject Keenan. He knows better. They _are_ friends. They at least have some kind of friendly relationship. Usually, he’d just deny it, to save himself the heartbreak if he were to be betrayed again but…perhaps it’s time to leave the past in the past and move on. Keenan gives him his biggest smile yet, diverting his gaze after a moment. It’s a little awkward but Jared is glad he said yes just by Keenan’s reaction. They’re quiet for a moment until there’s a crash downstairs, followed by a short yell. The two glance at each other and sigh.

 

Downstairs, Tanner shoos their adopted black cat with a stern expression. He’s just knocked over Andrew’s tea and scampered off to hide somewhere. He glares after the cat as Andrew laughs lightly.

“I guess he doesn’t like the tea.” He says “That would make two of us.”

“You need it to get better. The healer said so.” Tanner replies as he mops the soaked floor with a rag. Andrew coughs into his hand. It’s a horrible sound, rough and wet. It makes Tanner flinch.

“If you say so…”

Tanner purses his lips. He can’t know for sure it’ll help. The cold isn’t exactly the best thing for Andrew to have. It could kill him if they made any wrong moves. Now that he's human, everything's different. He's in danger of everything, he could die any which way and to say it terrifies Tanner would be an understatement. He pours a replacement cup of tea and sets hands it off to Andrew, watching him blow at the hot liquid and hiss when he burns his tongue on a sip taken too soon.

 

He looks to Tanner with tired brown eyes, the bags under them are dark and sickly. They don't hold their usual excitable shine. It fills his heart with dread to see him like this. Never in his life has he seen him like this. Never in his life did he _want_ to see him like this. He worries his lip between his teeth, tearing a small piece of skin away. His lip still hadn't healed properly. He'd spent so much time at the beginning of all of this smiling and continuously breaking the skin again and again. Now, it's scabbed over and practically healed but when he bites at it, he can taste blood again. By now it's almost a familiar taste in his mouth. Andrew reaches up to him and swipes his thumb along the blood with worry in his eyes.

"Don't bite it. You'll just make it worse." he says, resting his hand on Tanner's cheek. He leans into his touch, his heart aching. He can't understand why Jared isn't down here with them. Why he isn't worrying himself sick at his friend's deteriorating health. It's all because of the _human_. The human is dragging Jared away from them when he's needed most. He'd thought Keenan was pleasant at the start but now that he's threatening their relationship? Tanner needs to put him in his place.

"Drink your tea, please." he says, pressing a kiss to Andrew's fingers before rising to his feet. He has to figure out a way to get Jared to see Keenan for what he is. An outsider, not one of them.

 

Andrew sighs as Tanner leaves him to his own devices. He screws up his nose at the herbal tea, taking a reluctant sip after a moment and glancing to the black cat making his way back over. He meows and nudges his snout into the side of the mug, his blue eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"I don't suppose you want this, do you?"

The cat exhales and lowers its tail with an expression close to a sneer. _Me neither_ , Andrew thinks. The last thing he wants is to be stuck inside when he's feeling like this. He'd rather not dwell on his worsening condition. He knows he's not well. It's been evident since he got caught in the rain the other day but the black scales seem to be spreading further up his arm and he's had a splitting headache since he awoke this morning. He thought he could hold it together but his fall earlier on seems to have proved him dreadfully wrong. Now he has all of his friends worrying about him as if he's weak and forcing him to stay inside where he feels caged...like some kind of _pet_ . It's not in his nature to be inside, it's not where he belongs. He can look after himself, he did it for long enough without the others. Normally they know that, they wouldn't baby him like they're doing now but something in the atmosphere has...shifted. Tanner's acting strange. Andrew can almost smell the fear radiating off of him. In all of the years they've known each other he's never seen him so distressed and worrisome before. It's unlike him to be anything but smug and confident in the way he carries himself. It's jarring to see him this way but it's understandable considering their circumstances. Still, he can't help but wonder what's going on inside his head. He's a deep thinker as it is but this time he seems... _troubled_ rather than just his normal curiosity. Andrew gulps back the rest of his tea and makes a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. He's alone now with the cat, who watches him intently as he lays down properly. He shifts under the covers, hating the feeling of his feet being covered by blankets. He flicks them off of his feet and grunts in annoyance. Everything within him screams at him to get up and walk around but he knows if any of the others saw him up and about they wouldn't be very happy about it. Although, since when did he care what other's think? He clicks his tongue and raises an eyebrow at the cat. Perhaps he could disappear for a few hours outside. He can't stay cooped up in here forever.

 

He barely even get past the thought. He falls asleep quicker than he ever has and awakes in the middle of the night with a start. He's drenched in sweat, his curls dripping wet and his face slick. The room is filled with the sound of the fire crackling and spitting, a dim orange glow illuminating enough of the space for Andrew to see Tanner curled up by the end of his bedroll, his hands draped over his now socked feet. Andrew wrinkles his nose. It must be why he was sweating in the night. He doesn't _do_ socks or shoes. Far too much effort, not to mention he likes the air embracing his feet and the sensation of dirt and grass. He likely won't be anywhere near the outside at this rate. He watches Tanner's sleeping form for a moment and decides against ripping the socks off. His handsome face is more soft and relaxed than he's seen it in a while and Andrew wouldn't dare wake him from his rest when he so clearly needs it. Jared lays along the floor not too far away. His back is turned but Andrew can tell by his deep breaths that he's fast asleep. His shoulders still seem tense regardless of his sleeping state. He tends to be a light sleeper. He'd mentioned before it was 'just in case' but Andrew never really understood what he'd meant by that. He supposes it's just in case any danger found its way to them. Sleeping with one eye open doesn't seem like an option for Andrew, when he sleeps he might as well be dead to the world. He bites the inside of his cheek and lays back down. Maybe he'll just stay put for tonight. Tomorrow he could be feeling better anyway.

 

When Tanner rises the next morning the sun is sneaking in the windows, everything the light touches turning to gold. All except Andrew, who is so pale Tanner would assume he was dead, were it not for the deep rise and fall of his chest. He's still clung to him. He's glad to see the socks are still covering his feet. His skin is hot to the touch, he's been running a fever since yesterday but it's gotten worse during the night. His hair is soaked and stuck to his forehead and his eyebrows are drawn together like he's in pain even in his dreams. No one else seems to be around. Jared is nowhere to be seen and he can't hear the usual quiet voices from upstairs. He assumes they're out. Perhaps they're going to get more herbal remedies or medicine for Andrew. Or maybe they're just off gallivanting together without any care for anyone else around them. Tanner narrows his eyes as he quietly gets up, soaking a rag and ringing it out. He crouches down beside Andrew and strokes his wet curls out of his face, pressing the cold cloth to his forehead and holding it there for a moment. His worry draws his eyebrows together. If no one will care for him, then he has to. He stands again, a new determination pulling his shoulders back as he marches upstairs. He opens the door to Keenan's room as cautiously as possible, closing it behind him. Perhaps he'll have something in his room that could be used... _resourcefully._  He's sick of him dragging Jared away from them. He needs to make Jared see what he sees - that Keenan isn't just as nice as he comes across. He hunts around the room, throwing sheets up and checking under pillows and in woven baskets Keenan has pushed against the wall. He gets down on all fours and even explores under the bed for anything he could use against him. He doesn't know what he's looking for and that fact becomes evident very quickly. Surely Keenan has _something_ to hide. He finds an old bow under the bed and a couple of broken arrows. Why would he keep these? Surely it would make more sense just to purchase new ones and throw these ones out. He shakes his head and tosses them back under the bed where he found them.

 

The wardrobe doors creak in protest as he opens them and he sifts impatiently through some of the clothes inside. _Nothing_. He growls in frustration and throws the doors shut with a little more force than he means to put in. The doors slam and in turn, something falls from the top of the wardrobe and strikes Tanner on the way down. He bends to pick up the object which, upon closer inspection seems to be a piece of parchment wrapped around something, held together with a dirty old string. He glances to the top of the wardrobe. It wouldn't have been there if it wasn't meant to be concealed from wandering eyes. He smirks and tugs the string loose, keeping it balled up in his hand as he unfurls the paper. Inside, there's a decently sized claw curled in on itself. Tanner barely needs to study it to known which creature it belongs to. It's a dragon claw. And judging by the size, it would have been fairly young. Tanner feels sick as he sets it down on the edge of the bed, his lips pressed into a thin line as he inspects the paper it was wrapped in for some sort of explanation. Why would Keenan have a dragon claw in his possession? People would pay a lot of money for them just to display above their fireplaces or to show off their wealth. Keenan isn't wealthy so why on earth would he have it? And pushed away shamefully on top of his wardrobe? It all seems suspicious. Tanner frowns down at the letter, openly addressing Keenan.

 

_'Keenan,_

 

_I know that you do not wish to be a part of our family traditions any longer but I hope that you will keep this dragon claw in your possession. It is the claw of your first kill on one of our many hunts together. Keep it to remind you that you have the option to return to us, if your mind happens to change in the future._

 

_I give you my best,_

 

_Your Father'_

 

Tanner can't believe what he's reading. His mouth hangs open in bewilderment at the words. He was openly searching for something to break Jared away from Keenan and this is certainly the thing to do it...but it feels _wrong_. He would never have even considered Keenan being a dragon hunter as an option. How could he have? They've been living under the same roof as someone who could've slaughtered any one of them, if he so pleased. His blood runs cold and he wraps the parchment around the claw again, tying it together and holding it tight to his chest. Keenan can't find out that Tanner knows his secret. It could be detrimental to their current situation. He'll wait until the time is right to tell Jared. He can't have his friends living in the same space as a murderer. Has he had an ulterior motive all along? A plan to slay them when they get back to normal? Tanner chews at his lip and scrunches the paper tighter in his hand. He won't let that happen. Even if it's the last thing he does. 

 

Jared returns tired with Keenan after trying to haggle with the healers of the village. She wouldn't budge and even threatened to push her prices higher for her herbal medicines if they didn't just buy something and leave already. Jared sighs and shuts the door behind him, Keenan is already tending to Andrew. He's awake now but just barely. He drags himself into a sitting position, his eyes droopy from sleep. Tanner is sat across from him, knees tucked into his chest. He barely looks up at them when they enter.

"How're you feeling?" Keenan asks as he heats the new batch of tea. His expression is worrisome and Jared can't help but note how caring he is. All he's done is show them kindness the entire time they've been staying with him.

"Fine. I think I need some air though." He shifts under the sheets, discomfort on his face as he pushes himself to his feet. He stumbles forward a couple of steps on shaky legs. Tanner's already up, looking at no one except Andrew.

Andrew growls as Jared gestures at him to get back into bed and he raises his eyebrows challengingly.

“I’m sick of being in bed. I’m sick of being _inside_!”

“Andrew, lie down. You’re too unwell to go out.” Jared says, his tone firm as he steps towards him. Andrew snarls and recoils from him but he’s not fast enough to pull away and Jared grabs him by the forearm. The sound he makes is horrific. It’s a pained cry that nearly makes Jared’s heart break. Andrew whimpers and holds his arm to his chest.

“I didn’t pull him that hard!” He exclaims at Tanner, who looks furious at his friend. He _didn’t_ pull him that hard, it was a moderate tug at best and he’s hardly the strongest person in the world now they’re all human. Keenan is already stepping toward Andrew to comfort him but he stops dead in his tracks when he sees the blood staining his white sleeve. Jared watches every one of their faces pale.

 

Tanner's face flushes red in anger and he launches himself at Jared, who’s less than prepared for the right-hook he gets to the face. He yells and holds on to his now bleeding nose. Keenan is quick to react, dragging Tanner back and holding him away from Jared.

“Stay out of this, _human_.” He warns with bared teeth as he breaks away from his grasp. Jared narrows his eyes.

“Don’t talk to him like that.”

“You _hurt_ Andrew!” He spits “We’re meant to be friends, yet you don’t act like it! After everything humans have done to us…after everything they’ve done to _me_ . You still favour _him_ over us.” Where is all of this coming from? Jared only showed warmth to the human, why is he being berated for that? He clears his throat and glances to Keenan, who diverts his gaze elsewhere guiltily. Should Jared feel _guilty_? Humans in the past had hurt Tanner and Jared, they all knew that but this particular one hadn’t hurt them. He’s been given the chance but instead, he showed them kindness and took them in at their weakest. He could’ve told them to leave but he didn't. Not to mention he taught them a lot since they got here. Sure, it was a hassle at first but it’s all been in their best interest.

 

“He didn’t mean to. I…don't want you to fight.” Andrew pipes up, swaying on his feet slightly as he touches Tanner’s arm lightly. Keenan steadies him, receiving a weak but thankful smile in return.

“Andrew’s right. You can’t fight right now, you need to be here for him.” He pauses to regard his hurt arm, rolling the sleeve up and gasping when he sees the state of it. Scales have pushed their way up and out of his skin. The skin surrounding them is red and festered looking. Blood seeps from under the patch of scales Jared grabbed but that’s not the only thing Keenan notices. The scales are jet black instead of Andrew’s gorgeous dark green colour. The second the black scales are on show, Jared and Tanner drop the argument and crowd the other man. Jared points to the scales in astonishment. How hadn't they noticed this before now?

“You’re turning back?!”

“I don’t know if it’s that simple. His scales are _black_ for crying out loud!” Tanner seems more distressed than Andrew does. Jared can feel his heart lurch in his chest. He couldn't bear to lose Andrew or Tanner over this whole situation

"And _you_ ! I know he needs us. What he doesn't need is you anywhere near him!" Tanner pulls Andrew into his side and sneers at Keenan, who looks as shocked as Jared feels about all of this.

"What're you talking about? I'm just trying to help!"

"We don't need your help. I know all about your little _secret,_  human."

Keenan's eyes flash with panic. Jared looks between the two, feeling completely and utterly out of the loop. Is he missing something? What secret? He feels a little hurt that Keenan hasn't told him whatever it is, perhaps Jared thinks their relationship is closer than it actually is.

 

They stand in silence for a moment, the tension in the air is thick and uncomfortable. Jared gazes at Keenan. He doesn't need to ask the question for Keenan to know he wants answers. And Keenan looks more than reluctant to give in.

"I..." He trails off, voice breaking. Jared steps forward to comfort him, he can't help but feel like he needs to reassure his friend but Tanner steps into his path.

"I don't think you want to do that. Don't supply your comfort to a _murderer_ of our kind."

Jared goes completely still, eyes unmoving as he stares to Keenan for confirmation. He won't look him in the eyes.

"He wouldn't." Jared says more than hopeful that Keenan would never hurt any creature unless he had to. When they went hunting he could see the remorse in his eyes the entire time. _He wouldn't._  

"I would." He says "My family were hunters, like me but they didn't just hunt game. They hunted dragons. And at one time...I did too."

Jared feels a lot of emotions at once. For a second it's heartbreak. He finally opened up to a human again after so many years and this is what he's repaid with. A dragon hunter under the ruse of a nice guy. He probably would've killed them the day he met them - had it not been for Tanner taking his weapon while he slept. He can feel anger wash over him in an instant, blinded by rage. He snarls, pushing Tanner and Andrew behind him protectively. His face is burning red with fury as he points an accusatory finger into Keenan's chest.

"I _trusted_ you!"

"I know! I just...I wanted to leave that part of my life behind. I'm not that person anymore. That's why I left my family."

"Then why did you keep the dragon claw?" Tanner asks, pulling out a rolled-up parchment and tossing it on the floor in Keenan's direction. The aforementioned claw tumbles out from its paper wrapping. Jared's eyes widen and he shoves Keenan away from them. He doesn't even want to hear the answer to that question. He has a dragon claw? Jared has been living in the same house as someone who owns a dragon claw. A murderer. Someone that slaughters dragons for a living. Whether he does it or not anymore is up in the air. He doesn't know. But what he does know is that they're leaving. Jared's done some awful things in his lifetime, maybe he's being a hypocrite. He'd killed lots of humans, it's not something he's proud of. In fact, it brings him great sorrow but at least he doesn't try to hide that fact. He laughs but there's no humour in it as he snatches up Andrew's cape and drapes it over his arm, leading the boys to the door.

"We're leaving."

"Jared, wait-" he slams the door before Keenan finishes. He's done with this conversation. He doesn't want to hear any more out of Keenan. 

 

He hands Andrew's cape to Tanner and scoops him up in his arms, continuing to walk away from the cabin. Tanner walks alongside him, fixing the jacket over Andrew as he shivers. He quietly thanks Tanner and exhales softly through his nose.

"Maybe you should've heard him out."

"He could've killed us."

"He's our friend. I think he meant it...I think he really _did_ leave his family behind so he could better himself, Jared." Andrew rests his head against Jared's chest. Jared's eyebrows stay set in a deep frown. He can't think straight right now. Not through all of this rage, he's too furious to think rationally and right now the only thing he can focus on is marching Andrew to the next village over and demanding Daniel to change him back to normal. He doesn't even care about himself anymore as long as Andrew is okay. All of this isn't worth his health getting worse. He hacks out a cough, holding his cape over his face for a moment with a soft whine. When he lifts his head out from under it again there's blood on his mouth. Jared stares at his pale face as Andrew blinks up at him in exhaustion. It's not the first time he's seen him with blood on his face. But it's the first time it's been his own blood. The panic rises in Jared's chest and he walks faster.

 

They're just about outside of town by now. Tanner jogs for a moment to catch up with Jared's sudden burst of speed. When he sees the blood, a sob racks from his throat. Jared almost loses it. Tears roll down Tanner's cheeks as he cups a hand over his mouth. Jared holds his breath. He needs to be strong for them. He can't break when they need him most. Andrew holds his blood-stained hand to Tanner, who grasps it like his life depends on it.

"You're going to be okay." His voice wavers as he speaks. It sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else but it manages to push a brave smile on to Andrew's bloody lips.

 

Tanner tilts his head up to look at the sky, swiping at his tears and still clutching Andrew's hand. It's a clear day today. Seems like one of few they've had as of late. Usually this kind of weather was a joy to be caught in but now? It feels like Jared is baking alive. Carrying Andrew doesn't help. He's burning up worse than before and the extra heat of being pushed against Jared probably doesn't help.

"Why did you tell me about Keenan?" Jared asks, startling Tanner. He hadn't expected to be questioned for his actions by the looks of things "I could have lived happily in ignorance to all of this."

"You might not have been _alive_ to be ignorant if he turned on you." Tanner snaps, looking away with icy eyes. There's an emotion that Jared can pick up in an instant. He'd seen the expression on Tanner's face many times before. It almost makes Jared laugh at how petty it is.

"You were jealous." He states as a fact. Tanner whirls around, his stance defensive as he stumbles over his words for a moment. _So that’s it,_ Jared thinks. Old habits die hard. He always _was_ jealous.

“So what if I was! You were frolicking around with the human like you belonged amongst them. _Wake up_ , _Jared_. They wouldn’t be so accepting if they knew what you are.”

“Keenan knows what I am. And yet he still showed us kindness.”

“Only so he could skin us later.”

Jared scoffs. He’s not sure why he’s arguing on Keenan’s behalf when he’s meant to be angry with him. Technically, he betrayed them and led them into a false sense of security. Who knows if there was an ulterior motive involved. If there was then he’s glad that Tanner made it known. If not, Jared just lost someone he cares deeply for.

“Stop _arguing_.” Andrew rasps out. He seems to be getting worse by the minute. Jared can see the black scales now climbing up his neck. The dark rings under his eyes make them look sunken, his skin is murky white and drenched with sweat. Jared glares at Tanner. They’ll talk about this later but not while Andrew is in this state, they need to get him to Daniel’s. If he could fly they could get there so much faster, his quick pace will have to suffice for now.

 

Keenan paces the room back and forth. His mind is going a million miles a second. He knew he should’ve gotten rid of that claw years ago, now he’s paid substantially for keeping it. Why did he keep it? He chews at his lip. He knows why. He wanted to keep it as a reminder of why he should never go back home…why he should never return to the life he once led. He’d been part of the slaughter of a wonderful race, a race that had no need to be terrorised in the first place. He’d left home when he was still young, he didn’t know all that his father would about dragons – that’s why he was so curious about them all this time.

 

The time he’s spent with them has opened his eyes to how unbelievably sickening it is to hunt their kind. They’re practically human. And even if they weren’t, he still feels remorse for the things he’s done. He didn’t even get to explain himself to them – tell them that he left that life a long time ago and he would rather perish than return to it. He looks at the dragon claw askew on the ground and narrows his eyes as the black cat sniffs at it. He snatches it up from the floor and casts it into the fire. He could’ve sold it for a hefty sum of gold but he doesn’t want the money. It would be dirty money. Tainted with his horrible acts. He sits himself down by the fire and rubs at his stinging eyes with fisted hands. He’s messed up. He knows that. After he’d built up such a good thing, it just came crashing down and there’s no one to blame but himself. The image of the way Jared looked at him is engraved in his mind. The look of betrayal and heartbreak. It makes his own heart ache. He cares about him. He cares about all of them but Jared was…something else. Something he couldn’t describe.

 

He stares at the round cat as it jumps down from one of the chairs, letting out a loud meow to catch his attention. Keenan reaches his hand out to it as it huffs out a fed up breath. The last thing Keenan expects is to see the cat stand on his hind legs, shed his fur and grow into…a man. He’s a brunette, his hair and beard are both cut short but his blue eyes are the same as they always are. He crosses his arms across his chest and lets out another long, fed up sigh. Keenan jumps back from him, his eyes wide in a mixture of shock and horror. Why on earth are all of these magical beings cropping up around him all of a sudden? Why can’t he just have a normal life? The cat…man crosses his arms and shakes his head. He’s handsome but right now he looks like he’s had just about enough of things. His icy blue eyes regard Keenan coldly.

“I wasn’t going to do this but you’re an _idiot_.”

“Wh-”

“Keenan are you seriously going to let your friends walk away like that?”

“They…don’t want to see me. I’m scum in their eyes.” He pauses “What’s your deal, cat?”

“Cat. _Wow_ . My _name_ is Nicholas and you have no idea how wrong you are. All of that just now was out of panic. Andrew’s sick and if you continue to sit here and wallow in your own self-pity then he’s going to die.”

“Jared and Tanner will look after him.” He believes it. How couldn’t he? They’ve looked after each other until now, so why would they suddenly need another person to stick their nose where it isn’t wanted. Andrew would be alright, Keenan would just have to hope and pray that maybe when he’s better the others will return to him. Of course, that’s wishful thinking. He’d never seen such a hurt expression on someone’s face as Jared realised what Keenan was. That it’s true. He is a murderer. _Was,_  he reminds himself – not that it makes much of a difference. He still slaughtered innocent beings. He would never forgive himself. He’d been trying to move on. Perhaps he should’ve burnt the claw and the letter a long time ago to get rid of that part of his life. But even then, he couldn't erase his actions. What he could do is better himself – which is what he’d been trying to do for the past eight years.

“They can’t. You need to be there with them.” Nicholas fists his hands in the front of Keenan’s shirt “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and _go_.”

He’s right. Keenan knows he’s right but he feels sick to his stomach even thinking about seeing any of them now. He sucks in a deep breath. Maybe he just has to talk this out with them. If he explains himself then maybe they’ll understand. They’re his friends after all and he’ll fight hard for their relationship. It doesn’t matter that it’s still a fresh friendship at all, they’ve bonded and that’s the end of it. He pushes Nicholas’ hands off and paces back and forth a couple of times before grabbing his keys and gesturing for the other to come with him. Nicholas groans and follows after him. Keenan needs to be there for his friends, regardless of whether he’s wanted or not.

 

He practically runs there with Nicholas in tow. He feels sick with worry. What if Andrew’s gotten worse? He’d been trying his best to look after him when Tanner would let him. Tanner’s overprotective, of Andrew and Jared – all of them are overprotective when he really thinks about it. They’re practically family, it’s only natural that they would be. Tanner takes it to another level though. He’d obviously openly searched Keenan’s house for threats. Keenan can’t be angry at him, it’s understandable that he wants to keep everyone safe. If he were in Tanner’s shoes then he probably would’ve done the same. Although he can’t help but feel like it was a personal attack. Tanner had mentioned Jared and Keenan spending most of their time together which they had but it was never intentional to do so, half of the time Tanner and Andrew were together too. Perhaps he felt threatened by Keenan and the fact Jared was spending time with him instead of as their usual trio. _Jealousy._  The conclusion dawns on him. He’s been jealous and that probably just added fuel to the fire. Still, he couldn't hold it against him. Jealous or not, he cares for his friends...maybe he isn't quite as selfish as he once was.

 

Keenan stumbles through the door of the cottage after Nicholas, his eyes wide as his chest heaves with anxiety. The front room seems to be acting as the living room for the cottage. The walls are half covered in ivy, potted plants fill the room up with their leaves and flowers. Various bits and pieces of mismatched furniture are strewn about the room, although it seems to be the look the wizard was going for. Strategic mess. The chairs are made from wicker and he has colourful patchwork blankets thrown over each of them. Mahogany shelves line the back wall, fully stocked with glass jars of glowing elixirs. They’re colour coordinated and each jar looks to be labelled in cursive - Daniel must’ve taken his time writing out each label. The space is fairly small but Keenan’s not sure if it’s just because it’s so jam-packed. The windows are filled in with various colours of stained-glass, a rainbow of light filters into the room. All Keenan can see is red, for a moment he thinks it’s just the light but when he looks closer he finds that its blood. Andrew is slumped over one of the wicker chairs, bleeding through his ivory shirt and heaving out heavy breaths. His nose and mouth are both stained with blood, tinting his collar a dark reddish-brown. Tanner is clung on to him, his cheeks wet with tears as he sobs silently and attempts to comfort Andrew. Keenan’s heart feels like it might stop when he sees Jared on his knees, begging. It's clear he's already tried violence from the ruffled appearance of Daniel as well as himself. Now, all of his pride is out the window and the only thing left are his pleas of desperation.

“Please, just do something. Do _anything_!” His voice cracks and he might as well of shattered Keenan’s heart then and there as he breaks down. Tears roll down his cheeks. Daniel steps back from his grasp on his trouser leg, looking pitifully at him as he shakes his head. Jared’s hands slip from the fabric and he slams them against the ground and wails forlornly.

“I told you that you would only change back when you learned from your bad behaviours. He hasn’t done that.”

“He has!” Keenan chokes back his own tears and straightens his shoulders “I’ve seen him improve. I thought he was still stubborn before but he’s past that point now. If I can, let me exchange my life for his. _Please_.” Andrew hacks out a bloody cough, swiping at his mouth and shaking his head weakly.

“You’re not dying for me. Nobody is dying for me. You’re my friends and if anyone is dying because of my faults – _it’s me_.”

"I can and I will. Daniel, let me die in his place. I can see that he's changed."

"It doesn't look that way to me." Daniel laughs, tilting his hat back and sparing an amused glance toward Nicholas, who stays quiet for now. Keenan can feel heat rising to his cheeks, his frustration rising with it.

"You cursed these creatures to be human and yet you don't show a scratch of humanity yourself. You're a hypocrite."

"These morons couldn't learn how to control their bad habits if their lives depended on it. And they _do_ depend on it, as you can see."

 

Tanner whimpers from behind them at the implication of Andrew's demise and Keenan feels his anger grow. It's one thing to curse them for stealing but it's another to refuse to cure them when they truly have grown as people. They've each gotten better. Up until now, Andrew hadn't shown much promise. He'd still been selfish and stubborn, he wouldn't accept help and was reluctant to help out with anything Keenan asked of him. But just now, Andrew refused for Keenan to lay down his life for him. Keenan's sure he would never have done that before. And by the look he caught on Tanner and Jared's faces, he would assume it would never have occurred to them that he would lay down his own life - if given the chance to push the price of death on to someone else. They all still had more to learn but what more could Daniel ask for? They've tried their hardest. They didn't have enough time to improve anymore before Andrew started getting sick.

"They have their flaws but...doesn't everyone? I know that I'm not perfect. I concealed the truth when I shouldn't have and I tried to escape my past." Keenan steps toward Daniel "I realise now that I need to come to terms with who I was and who I _am_ now. I am not the same person I once was. And neither are they. We've all learned from our mistakes."

Daniel doesn't look convinced. Nicholas on the other hand, blinks in surprise at Keenan and turns his head to give Daniel an expectant stare. Daniel meets his gaze, holding it for a painfully long moment before he lets out an exasperated noise.

"You're defending them? You truly believe that they have bettered themselves?"

Keenan looks at each of them, nodding "I believe so, yes."

"Very well." He groans reluctantly.

 

Daniel sifts through the elixirs. He makes a frustrated sound the back of his throat as he pushes them to the side and stands on his tiptoes to push his arm deeper into the back of the shelf. Nicholas sits down and watches him carefully, too relaxed for the overflowing tension in the room. Jared’s eyebrows are drawn together in worry as he glances back at Andrew, who sounds like he’s going to hack up a lung. By the amount of blood that comes out of his mouth - he just might. There’s a thick silence outside of the clinking together of glass jars. Daniel taps a finger at the air in annoyance, dragging a few jars forward with his magic. With the one little flick of his wrist, the two jars float over to Keenan. He grabs them out of the air when Daniel clears his throat.

"I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart. The curse has been linked to you." He pauses to gather several jars together. He lays them out on a small end table positioned beside the chair Andrew is leaned against “Sit him down.” Daniel instructs. He snatches the two containers from Keenan, popping the lid off of one of them before pouring it in with another. Tanner helps Andrew into the seat, flinching when he yelps in pain from a little too sudden of a movement.

"What do you _mean_ linked to him?" Jared asks, watching Daniel's every move suspiciously.

"He's the one who decides whether you're fit to return to normal. The curse is in his hands to break...didn't I tell you that?" He hums "Must've slipped my mind."

Slipped his mind? Keenan grits his teeth but keeps his cool. He'd obviously wanted them to be harmed if that's the case. If they'd left it any longer, Andrew could have died.

"Would we die otherwise?"

The elixirs flicker with light and turn from a dark purple and pink to baby blue as Daniel mixes them together. Keenan can hear a ringing sound as light pulsates inside the jar. It looks to have the consistency of honey when Daniel swirls it around with a thoughtful expression.

"Yes. You would have slowly and _painfully_ returned to your dragon state. And then, you would have died like that...you're lucky, really." He smirks when the light disperses into a kind of thick, glittery liquid. He shuts the lid, shaking the jar and handing it over to Tanner.

"Each of you take a few sips." He doesn't explain much beyond that but they get the message. It must be the cure to the curse. That, or he's outright poisoning them. No, it doesn't seem like his style. As much as the wizard isn't a nice guy, he doesn't seem like he'd outright murder them for no reason. After all, he was the victim of thievery to begin with.

 

Daniel is quick to shoo them out of his cottage once they've drank from the cure. By the looks on their faces it must not taste very nice.

"Check back in with me in a few days. They should be returned to normal by then." He says, giving them a quick wave and slamming the door in Keenan's face. He releases a breath he didn't realise he was holding. When he turns on his heel the three boys are staring at him with an emotion he's not sure how to read.

"Thank you, Keenan." Tanner says after a moment. It seems reluctant but Keenan can tell it's genuine. He hopes that they can forgive him for what he's done in the past and move forward with him. He _hopes_ they can continue to grow and that Andrew's health will improve as quickly as possible. Things had been so bleak but he has so much hope for all of them now.

 

It’s a gradual thing to get better. For a while, Andrew is still off colour and sick, but at least he’s not throwing up blood anymore. Tanner and Jared barely leave his side. They let Keenan in to see him but when Andrew gets a little too excited about his presence they have him leave before the boy can hurt himself by bouncing around too much in attempts to smother Keenan with hugs. He's a lot more affectionate after everything, it's clear all is forgiven on his part. Keenan wishes he could say the same for the others. There's still a strange atmosphere amongst them that he can't seem to shake no matter how much he tries to open up and explain. He can only try his best to help them and hope that his care and his own affection is enough.

 

The process of their transformation back takes almost a full three days. It’s painful for them, scales pierce their skin and the growth of their horns is enough to give them migraines and dizzy spells. It’s strange to see their teeth become slightly pointier and their eyes brightening up to their original vibrant colours. Keenan had become attuned to their human appearances but it’s nice to see their spirits lifting, it’s obvious that they’re much more comfortable in their skin while it’s covered in scales. Keenan can't help but observe their gorgeous scales once again. He'd forgotten how lovely they truly were. Their magic comes back in waves. Jared is able to light the fire with a single finger after a day or two and once he’s strong enough, Andrew puts it out with his ice magic. They don’t talk much outside of Keenan checking in on them, much to his disappointment but he knows that building their relationship up again will take time and care. He'll put the effort in. He can tell Jared has something to say on the fourth day but he doesn't push it. He lets them all know he's going out for groceries and that he'll be back soon. He hopes that when he returns, Jared won't be as floundered and they'll be able to speak properly.  Keenan’s at one of the village produce stands when he hears a few astonished gasps around him. A large shadow passes over him and it’s gone as quick as it appears. When he looks up to the sky, he sees them. Flying away in all of their beauty. He doesn’t cry. He knew they would leave him eventually. But he had at least wanted a goodbye before they left.

 

By the time it comes around to spring he's reminded of them. The last time he saw them all was in April of the previous year. His heart ached a lot at the start, he missed them dearly despite their short stay in his life. Going back to normalcy was difficult after that – after having such imposing chaotic energies in his home it was hard to adjust back to everyday life without it. But eventually he got used to his normal way of life and he went about his business as he normally had for years. It doesn’t stop him from feeling like something is missing. They left a hole in his life that can’t possibly be filled with anything else, even after an entire year – he still misses them. He’s on the outskirts of town now, amongst the old farmer’s wheat fields. He helps him out every harvest season since the older man couldn't handle all of the work by himself. He’s using a sickle to harvest it, hooking and pulling until he’s made a clean cut of crops. He ties the wheat together and throws it with the rest of the pile.

 

He wipes the sweat from his brow and pulls at the fingers of his leather gloves, tugging them off with a tired sigh. He promised the old man he would help out but he thinks he’s maybe getting too old for all of this himself. He takes a moment to catch his breath, listening to the waves of golden wheat brushing against each other with the wind blowing through the field. The heat is certainly more intense than last year and there’s less rain than before. He’s glad for it but it means he has to water his own garden manually a lot more often. His garden is thriving since Andrew dug it up, he’d helped him replant and look after it for a bit before he’d gotten sick. He must’ve had a way with plantation – his plants had never been so healthy. He smiles sadly at the thought. Tanner had helped him with skinning animals before too, he'd been so very curious about everything in the beginning. He was the one to unveil Keenan's past in the end but he could never hold it against him, he'd only wanted to protect his family and Keenan could understand that. His past is still hard to come to terms with, he'd not forgiven himself completely just yet but he'd come a long way since he disposed of the letter from his father shortly after he'd burnt the claw. He's been...healing since then.

 

It's been hard for him to get over the dragons leaving. Especially Jared. He'd been such good company while he was here and they'd grown close. He could see how much he'd opened up after a while and it was nice to see his trust in Keenan slowly building. When everything came crashing down he wasn't sure he'd ever get that trust back. And once Andrew got better that was it. They left and Keenan didn't get the chance to find out if Jared had forgiven him or if he'd ever see them again. They were just gone without a trace. He still wishes he could've spoken to them one last time. At least said his goodbyes and gotten closure. He bites at his lip. He needs to stop dwelling on all of this. He's been trying to move on but it's proven to be difficult. He hooks his sickle around some more wheat and pulls.

"All I'm saying is, if he's not there then we should just break into his house and sleep there. He did it to us!" He hears a young man exclaim, his tone is confident in his statement regardless of how ridiculous it sounds. A second voice pipes up, it's much less energetic and much more annoyed than anything else.

"That's the most stupid suggestion you've had yet. Not to mention he might not _want_ to see us."

"Maybe we should wait and see if he's home first and decide where to go from there." A third voice suggests, his tone is slightly higher than the others but he's certainly the most rational one. The voices are far too familiar and Keenan whips his head around so fast he almost knocks himself off-balance. The wheat blocks his view for a moment but when he stands on his toes he sees a flash of red hair and twisted horns. The other stops dead in his tracks when he catches Keenan's eyes. Jared jolts forward when Andrew bumps into the back of him, snapping him back into reality. Is this reality? Keenan's not so sure anymore.

 

A grin spreads on to Jared's lips and he takes off sprinting, hauling himself over the fence and tripping over his feet to get to Keenan. He stumbles into his arms, almost knocking both of them over. Keenan steadies him, not sure how to react. It's been a year since he saw them and now they're right in front of him. He looks over Jared's shoulder as Andrew jumps up to sit on the fence, swinging his feet happily. Tanner leans next to him, smiling knowingly at Keenan as he rests a bow and quiver full of arrows by his feet. Keenan's bow and quiver. Jared's hands are still rested against him. Keenan tries to search his ruby eyes for an answer as to why they're here but he's pulled into a tight embrace instead. He accepts it right away, wrapping his arms around Jared and resting his chin against his shoulder. It's hot outside and the hug doesn't help the fact, but he still wants to hug him for as long as he can. Keenan laughs nervously when they break apart, still a little unsure. He finds that now that he has Jared here in his arms he doesn't really care why they left. The only thing that matters is that they're back. By the looks of things, the past is long forgotten in their eyes. Keenan's mouth opens and closes for a moment, trying to find the words to say. He struggles to string a sentence together but he manages after a couple of tries.

"You're...here?"

"I am." Jared confirms "And I plan to keep it that way." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! This took me a long time to write dudes. I swear I went ham as hell the last couple days or so trying to get it finished. If you follow me on tumblr then you probably saw me saw that this was going to be out LAST WEEK but there was a lot more to write than anticipated and I feel super guilty about not getting it done on time but hey! Better late than never! I poured a lot into this chapter so I really hope y'all like it and it was worth the wait!
> 
> I can't believe the amount of support so many of you have been showing the Dragon AU! I really can't believe the reaction it's had with some of you and it's crazy to think it's only been two months! Seb (@neglected-sadist on tumblr) and I have a couple more things cooking for this AU for the future too - I am so unbelievably excited to share with y'all!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so neglected-sadist (shoutout to my boy - his tumblr is in the summary, check him out for context!) and I have been working together on the Lore for the Dragon AU together for the past 3/4 days and now it's finally done! This is basically the canon lore to the AU and I'm so excited to post it. This is my first time ever posting something I've written so it's a little nerve-wracking but I really hope y'all enjoy! 
> 
> HMU here or on tumblr if you have any questions about the lore: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/cheesebeanmilk


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